[ATTENDED: April 6, 2022] Nina Nastasia
I
had not heard of Nina Nastasia before this show. And, placed between Ye Gods and Mogwai, I never expected her to be a pleasant, if rather dark, folk singer.
She released her first album in 2000 and put out records pretty consistently for ten years. Then she stopped and now has a new album due out in July.
Her bandcamp site is quite confessional
Riderless Horse is my first solo record, and it’s the first record my former partner, Kennan Gudjonsson, didn’t produce.
I haven’t made an album since 2010. I decided to stop pursuing music several years after my sixth record, Outlaster, because of unhappiness, overwhelming chaos, mental illness, and my tragically dysfunctional relationship with Kennan. Creating music had always been a positive outlet during difficult times, but eventually it became a source of absolute misery.
With much more (rather shocking) information following.
I’m sure most of the set was from the new album, as I can’t find song titles based on lyrics. Although some older songs were thrown in there as well–she noted that someone was singing along with the older songs (“you know the words, huh?”)
Mogwai has posted that Nina would be going on at 8:45, so I wasn’t paying attention at 8:35 when she started singing. Nothing had changed–no one seemed to even know she was there. Suddenly there was this crystal clear voice.
It was such a contrast from Ye Gods.
The first song was a capella. The rest had her finger picking acoustic guitar playing underneath. She has some really interesting chords and some lovely picking sounds. There was one point where she switched between picking and strumming and the dynamic (in an otherwise quiet situation) were quite stark.
At some point she said that she had a dog with her that she was training to be a rescue dog. But he doesn’t like loud noise so he was in the car. (Mogwai would be the last place that dog should be–but apparently the dog loved Stuart from Mogwai).
After playing a dozen or so songs, despite there being a giant clock to her right, she said she wasn’t sure what time it was and that she was hungry so she was only going to play one more song.
Essentially, her set ended at 9:05.
I enjoyed her. Her voice was weary but lovely and her songs were quite gut wrenching. I’m kind of happy though that her set was only 30 and not 45minutes.
Mogwai said they’d be coming on at 10. But they also said that Nina would be finishing around 9:30. Surely they wouldn’t make us wait 55 minutes….
SETLIST (maybe I’ll update the unknown songs in July)
- I turned away and walked alone I walked for days through wicked weather
- The only hope is out that door from here
- run home with the (wind)
- What’s Out There Ø
- we can hide and forget all morning sunrise … shameful to be weary
- Been So Long ♦
- All for You ♦
- Late Night ¥
- I want to take your hands to my neck I want to hear hear you make a snap every time it comes to this
- Desert Fly ♦
- In the Graveyard ♦
- ii say to you over what thing. You can go where you have to but I can tell you it’s not where you go
µ Riderless Horse (2022)
Ø Outlaster (2010)
¥ You Follow Me (2007)
♦ The Blackened Air (2002)
Leave a Reply