Kristeen Young

I walked in to the Empty Bottle in the middle of Ms Young's set. Aleks and The Drummer headlined and Bengal Lancer opened. I will be going on about Bengal Lancer later. I first saw them the same night as My Gold Mask and....I have to stay on point, right. It was my first time seeing Kristeen Young. She was intense. These pictures are intense. Perhaps this is only an initial impression of her music on me. Her voice reminded me of Kate Bush, with crazy keyboard skills. This girl really abuses those keys like it's own expressionist theater, you just have to see her. Her expressionism was all over the place, if not just in my head, her costume all black glam and gothic. And her manic Kate Bush voice soars, and rock-climbs mountains without a safetly harness. Kristeen Young was beautiful to behold and hear. The crowd was there for her, but kind of reserved. They stood back and away from the stage, but they were not indifferent. In my memory it's not what will be important, if only a footnote. I guess this is what is going to play in my head as her music integrates into my mind. These pictures capture for me the wonder of this performance, and seeing it for the first time. When next I post about her will be with other pictures of this night, and shall be with a deeper imprint of her CD.

When I looked at the Empty Bottle website regarding this last Saturday, and noticed this name Kristeen Young, it got me interested. Her CD is named "Music For Strippers, Hookers, and the Odd-Onlooker". Alright, I'm biting. It's not for nothing that someone names a CD like this. So this is one more person I actually want to see besides, Aleks, and Bengal Lancer. I skimmed through her website and stopped. I wanted it to hit me live. I thought of doing the responsible thing and not buy the cd because I need to save and all. These are tough times and I'm buying cds? Swine flu is keeping all my cousins in Mexico indoors, and people there are used to going out for walks in "el jardin". Writing about these bands feels almost decadent.

I suppose this is me being appreciative for having the means and the chance to go see these bands. Their performances don't just pass the time. They mark the times that we live. I will recall what went on around the shows I go see and will be glad, for these shows are what helped to see me through them.

Kaspar-Zig