Mondo Bizarre Magazine Concert Reviews, Concerts

Nadine Khouri | John Grant, Casa da Música, Porto, 22.11.2023. – Misty Fest.

Nadine Khouri © Mondo Bizarre Magazine/Cláudia Lopes

words: Marcos Leal (edited and freely translated by Raquel Pinheiro); photos: Cláudia Lopes

Anglo-Libsnese Nadine Khouri is presenting her latest album, Another Life (produced by John Parish). She comes on stage with a drummer and a keyboardist and picks up her red guitar, before strumming the first chords. Attention is immediately called to her warm, silly voice, inspiring Lebanon deserted landscapes.

The sound draws towards David Lynch and Wim Wenders imagetic scenaries. It is worthy to mention Keep On Pushing These Walls, a song dedicated to Lhasa De Sela, Keep On Pushing These Walls, and another to those that had to live in exile. Her is music, alternative exotic cinematografic, makes us go on a roadtrip without leaving our seat.

John Grant © Mondo Bizarre Magazine/Cláudia Lopes

It is John Grant’s time now., also in a redux emsemble: John, in the piano, and a keyboardist-back vocalist. When he starts to play what stands out is his strong voice and it’s tone. What sets him apart is the quality of his lyrics in which, satirically, he approaches human relationships, homosexuality, social issues. For the joy of the his fans, several songs from the debut album, Queen of Denmark, were played. John says he feels comfortable playing those because certain issues remain as corrent. Of notice was also the excellent piano solo by his pianist-keyboardist. One song was left to be played on the encore. The only weirdness in a beautiful performance was a member of the audience that insisted on speaking to John Grant and clap before the end of each song.

John Grant © Mondo Bizarre Magazine/Cláudia Lopes
Mondo Bizarre Magazine Concert Reviews, Concerts

Alan Sparhawk (Low) | Lambchop – Misty Fest, Casa da Música, Porto, 21.11.2023. 

Alan Sparhawk © Mondo Bizarre Magazine/Marcos Leal

words: Marcos Leal (edited and freely translated by Raquel Pinheiro); photos: Marcos Leal

Alan Sparhawk returns a year after the death of Mimi Parker, his life and musical companion. He is accompanied by three young musicians, one of them his son, on bass, the others bring a drummer and a banjo player., instruments that are characteristic of Alan Sparhawk’s music. The concery start quietly, but quickly the harshness of distortion and feedbacks of the lyrically heavier lyrics, in which Alan seemed to transmit and exorcize darker feelings arriveded. It was a concert with gruge roughness and indie-folk sweetness that received a good clapping at the end.

Lambchop © Mondo Bizarre Magazine/Marcos Leal

As for Lambchop presented a redux version. Kurt Wagner (vocals) and a pianist. A change that seemed to caught a few people by surprise. As the piano first notes were played, Kurt gestured along the music, like a conductor. Placing himself on the mic stand, his first vocals seemed to had caused a shift on the room. Owning a strong, deep voice, he sang song from the latest album, word by word with captivating mastery and presence, contracting with the simplicity of the production design. The lights didn’t even changed colour.

The minimalist approach may had not been for everyone. Those that stayed enjoyed Kurt’s and his pianist astistic quality until the end. They were irreproachandle and deserved the generous clappung before bed, as Kurt said they would go to sleep right after the encore.

Lambchop © Mondo Bizarre Magazine/Marcos Leal
Mondo Bizarre Magazine Concert Reviews, Concerts

Francisco Sassetti | Wim Mertens – Misty Fest, Casa da Música, Porto, 13.11.2023.

Francisco Sassetti © Mondo Bizarre Magazine/Telma Mota

Warmness and Strife for Piano

words: Raquel Pinheiro; photos: Telma Mota

It was an evening of Wimtrasts and counterpoints. Warmness, homeness, romanticism, afable communication – Francisco Sassetti – sparcity, dislocation, strangeness, non verbal speak – Win Mertens.

Portugue pianist and composer premiered his debut album, Home, Monday night. Home is a beautiful record filled with intimate, personal, homely, sacred even, pieces. It is also imbued in melancholy, joy, longing, wonder.

Talkative, Francisco told small stories and contextulized every theme throughout his performance. Opening in a nightly mood, with Home’s two nocturnes, Nocturne I and Nocturne II, moving to the journeying title track that leads us home after absense.

Francisco Sassetti © Mondo Bizarre Magazine/Telma Mota

The next three pieces Francisca’s Dream, Francisco’s Jr Theme, Sara is Happy are dedicated, respectively to his daughter, his son and his wife. A little girl with a Ballon, in a carrousel, a young boy slaying a dragon, and a wife, mother, woman litting a room with her happiness. The piano translates the stories magnificently. Or the vignettes are magnificently played, in a reverie, with intensity, upbeatness sorrow, glow.

Francisco Sassetti’s performance ends with the wonderful, slightly somber, but rich is tone and soul, Music For Her.

Wim Mertens © Mondo Bizarre Magazine/Telma Mota

Wim Mertens, , accompanied by trumpeter Ward Hoornaert, presented Voice Of The Living his album homage to all war victims. Voice Of The Living was commissioned by the Chancellary of the Belgium prime minister as part of the commemoration og the Great War (Work War I, 1914-1918).

It is an harrowing musical piece. Playing in November, with all that is going on, two days after Armistice Day (November 11,1918), the day of the end of war it was created to signal, it is sobering, chilling, beautiful, uncomfortable.

Wim Mertens & Ward Hoornaer © Mondo Bizarre Magazine/Telma Mota

Mertens way of playing, more minimal leaning, heighlights the theme of the composition. The Piano runs free, is sound pointllism, while the trumpet holds it filling the atmosphere with a certain joy, at times, verging on exuberant happyness, but never fully crossing into glaring bright light.

In Mertens Voice Of The Living we feel the sense of loss, of desorientation, the discomfort, the wasteland. There are also glimpses of hope, of a better time among uncertainty.

Libreto:

Francisco Sassetti:01 – Nocturne I; 02 – Nocturne II; 03 – Home; 04 – Goodbye; 05 – Filipa’s Dream; 06 – Francisco Jr.’s Theme; 07 – Sara Is Happy; 08 – Inocência II; 09 – Music for Her

Wim Mertens: 01 – Too good, too loose; 02 – Glossary raisonné; 03 – Escape and recapture; 04 – Pondichéry; 05 – On the Zephyrous Peak; 06 – Continuous pushforwards; 07 – Nota notae; 08 – Watch!; 09 – Phaedra; 10 – Constance; 11 – Prudence; 12 – Far; 13 – Struggle for Pleasure; 14 – Close Cover

Wim Mertens © Mondo Bizarre Magazine/Telma Mota