Before I saw Bonnie Prince Billy make an in-store appearance at Vintage Vinyl on August 15 I had no idea what his music sounded like. I knew from M that he is huge in France and that when he rocks out he has a stage presence that is undeniable. Trusting her instincts, I jumped at the chance to see what this artist was all about.J and I went down to check it out and could barely see the solo Will Oldham because of the large crowd. What we could hear were the knockings of the microphone as he nervously situated himself on his stool and tuned his guitar. He said that he had never had one of those dreams where you stand naked in front of a crowd, but that this must be what that kind of dream feels like.
The crowd was an interesting mix of rustics and two 30-somethings that had just purchased tickets for the September MUSE show. It was a quiet set and wouldn’t you know it- my cell phone went off. What was worse was that because I couldn’t get to the phone it just kept ringing and ringing and ringing… Also, my ringtone is a song that this crowd would in no way desire to hear. The last thing I wanted was to disrespect the already nervous artist and get stoned (because I’m sure that among this crowd besides walking sticks, dirt, and handmade messenger bags there were stones as well). With one look we headed to the back of the store.
His and my social anxieties aside, Oldham’s voice has an unrefined beauty to it that expresses longing and reflection. An example of the tone of that night can be seen and heard here. Find his music, sit on a porch in the darkness of night, and give it a listen. -K
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