Like wisps of fire dancing upon a log, Kaki King's hands lit up the stage last Friday night at The Triple Door in Seattle. Watching the early 30-something for an hour and a half, it was easy to see why the sold-out audience was drawn that night. Kaki sat, perched like a demure bird, and gave fans an intimate, candid look at her music and person.
The audience was mainly an older crowd, as the show and venue was earlier and less intense then, say, Simian Mobile Disco, but it was still captivating. Don't get me wrong though - this girl loves her f-bombs and may touch on topics that your grandmother would blush at, such as her self-diagnosed potential hernia.
Starting off with "Bone Chaos in the Castle," her fingers flew back and forth, playing almost the entire song on the bridge of one of her seven guitars. Her instruments were displayed in a circle of worship facing Kaki, waiting patiently like devoted minions. To commence, she played much of her own material, moving on to cover "My Girl the Horse" by Fences and "Andecy" by Andrew York. Between songs, she gave little lessons about her guitars (or guitarish instruments, as some were mandolins and banjos).
Using a simple backdrop and anecdotal conversation, Kaki focused mainly on instrumental pieces executed seamlessly. There was a delightful simplicity about her performance that a lot of musicians her age overlook. This was a show about music and talent, not lasers, neon and image. This is not to say what she was playing was easy, but more that her incredible talent and passion made her performance seem natural and effortless. All in all, it was a relaxing and soul-revitalizing evening, laced with bits of humor in between.
SIMILAR SONGS
