Written by DCist contributor Erin Keane.
There’s something impish about Annie Clark, also known as St. Vincent. Her beauty is alternately reminiscent of Snow White and a cunning, cat-eyed wicked queen. Clark’s performance at 9:30 Club on Tuesday night was similarly divergent — one moment her elegantly entwined fingers embraced the mic, and the next she thrashed and beat upon a Harmony Bobkat guitar.
Formerly a guitarist for Sufjan Stevens and The Polyphonic Spree, Clark’s specialty is shredding on the axe and she certainly showcased her chops, kicking off the night with “Surgeon”, a fret-full song from her latest album, Strange Mercy. The most notable solo of the evening was born of the raucous, show-closing rendition of “Your Lips Are Red”, during which the petite frontwoman beat her instrument amongst pawing audience members in the front row of the packed club.
Whether it was for the benefit of those who bought tickets or the live web-stream recorded by NPR, Clark did a lovely job of chatting up the audience throughout the show. Concert-goers heard anecdotes about music videos, midnight graveyard visits, and cinematic inspirations as she introduced songs from the new album including “Chloe in the Afternoon” and “Cruel”. The latter tune was among the more memorable vocal performances of the evening, during which Clark exhibited amazing control over her velveteen cords.
Clark’s voice and powerful stage presence were highlighted by, in her words, an “epileptic seizure” light show. The masterful use of spotlights enhanced the macabre whimsy of St. Vincent’s oeuvre as she gyrated in and out of shadowy spaces on stage. This effect punctuated the first song of the encore, “The Party”, completely obscuring Clark while she crooned the final pitch-perfect oohs and ahhs of the night.
Another exciting moment for the D.C. crowd was a very sincere shout-out to the house. Clark lauded the 9:30 Club for being the best venue to play in the States, and though the performance was memorable for many reasons, those words will certainly have District residents swelling with pride for some time to come.
