I walked up Vanderbilt avenue to Bergen St last Tuesday night to attend Emma Alabasters new trio Captain for Dark Morning at Branded Saloon. I was first greeted by two familiar faces, and sat at a booth with new aquaintances. We then walked to the back, where we sat on high stools and benches and the performers stood on a stage about eye level with us seated. Emma Alabaster introduced the show and herself as the vocalist and bassist, as well as her collaborators: Zach Dunham on drums, and Charlie Rauh on guitar.
She started us off with a clever introduction to her first song. She stated "This song is about growing up in Brooklyn." She continued on to play an inventive bass line with a compelling voal repepition of "I don't know this place anymore." Very clearly (as someone who know's Emma and her politics) I understood the song to be a powerful statement on gentrification.
Visually, I loved her purple sweater dress and asymetrical gold earrings. Not often do muscians take notice to the fact they are in fact performers with bodies on stage. Emma has definitely taken note and her costume choices rang brooklyn all the way through, (allowing me to really believe her as she sang for an insightful hour in the night at the Branded Saloon in Prospect Heights).
I don't often have the pleasure of listening to original scores, and seldom have the opportunity to write about my experience. As someone who dances, and is heavily affected by sound I have limited experience with music. I however, do love experimental compositions, and I was fortunate to find myself at this show. Where melody sunk between by predictive brain, and continually caught me by surpize. Every moment I heard something new and my head found an unique pattern to grove. I look forward to hearing Emma's next compositions. I was definitely satisfied with my Tuesday night adventure down Vanderbilt.
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