Ethan Rose, Laura Gibson, Ryan Jeffery / YOUNGER
Posted by Jim Withington
I feel almost as weird about being the dude in the back typing during a performance as you do about seeing me here, let’s get that straight up front. But it’s not typical that one can take in a performance at TBA and blog it as it’s happening*, so, shall we?
I spent the bulk of the afternoon at the Whitsell, watching a lot of post-something, arty films. I liked a lot of them, don’t get me wrong, and will hopefully post some highlights later. But right now I’m sitting outside PDX Contemporary Art watching YOUNGER, a collaboration between singer-songwriter Laura Gibson, lover of antiques-plus-technology musician Ethan Rose, and video artist Ryan Jeffery, and I have to give it up for live performance, yet again.
This magically frustrating day of weather in Portland (pouring, then sunny, then…well, sunny and raining a bit slower) came out to play during the beginning of this performance, and the image of the sun poking through the rain with a crowd gathered on a Pearl District intersection to see this will likely mark NW 9th and Flanders for me forever.
A favorite moment so far was Rose live-looping Gibson’s voice from the main room while she sings in the storefront window, layering upon layer of her improvised lyrics harmonizing with each other. As it gets darker and darker we can see the video more and more, and that’s gorgeous, too. Each time I look up from this screen there are fewer people, but the video is more visible.
Soaring Laura vocals, plinky Rose instrumentals, gorgeous Jeffery visual snippets. Inspiring, lovely, beautiful.
*Time-based blogging is happening?
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YOUNGER is still in progress until about 10pm tonight; come check it out.
