She is one of those discoveries that end up playing Empty Bottle soon after learning of them. So remote in the beginning. Far enough away that, I don't have to think about the money I gotta save to see her yet. Next video after Zanias....1995. Then Ugly Girl. Part of what gets my interest in a song is how urgent does it feel. Urgency can be felt regardless of pace. With Molly Nilsson pace is mostly mid-tempo casual, with some uptempo surprises like Mountain Time. The video for it was fascinating in that it could have been any Quinceniera ranging from close relatives and spiraling out from there. It felt authentic, right down to the faces of the attendees. She could have used all the pretty people from the novellas, but you can't tell those mother fuckers from a common American sitcom. So the video for it was nice, it felt like into she sneaked into a real moment....she would really stick out like a radio active gringa in the quince. She would silence everyone into respect if she can dance to cumbia, old school mambo or anything from Hector Lavoe.....wow. That thread just took off on me.
Just as I was comfortable with her mid-tempo pace, she jets forward with Mountain Time and from The Travels Dear Life. I notice all music she has out already, going as far back as 2010. Eventually my interests steers me towards other bands. Ms Molly has a great catalogue of music to OD on, I gotta take my time on her. So I did not hardcore research into 20/20 going into this concert. This Wednesday I was finally able to go. The universe was bringing her again. Can't turn that down. I was half wanting a few of the same goth crowd as with Be Forest the night before. I mean she is fucking goth candy. The Be Forest show had an identifiable half goth/shoegaze crowd. This Molly Nilsson had what appeared to be a normal cool Empty Bottle crowd. It did not matter either way. I like to paint a picture when writing down this moment, and the audience is a tremendous tell on all levels. You miss that and that is a blind spot in the moment...well if you give a shit.
Three shows in a row does ....seem to ask the question what festival are you celebrating in your German Expressionist fevered mind. Ellis on Monday, Be Forest on Tuesday, Molly Nilsson on Wednesday. What the fuck! So back to this....she was fun to watch. Ms Molly was dancing. These pictures suggest a cold indifferent dancer, but she was smiling. I wanted to take home what she had this enthusiasm for. 
One person that was impressive enough that I took home his CD Choose Life was Apostille. Weirdly resonant electronic one-man act. This was truly a surprise. I was into it. And then Ms Molly played. The crowd was heavy for her and seemed to know her music, and would react to certain songs and that fed back to her. Her enthusiasm slightly more unguarded. This was my first show of Ms Molly. I knew she came to Empty Bottle before and I just assumed most of the audience were music snobs that have seen her before, and I'm just starting in this school in the middle of the semester out of nowhere with braces that can barely hold back these horse teeth. It feels differently when you know you are seeing an artist well into the middle of their performing life, catching their tour. You are seeing a polished, seasoned artist. It's like starting Star Wars from Empire....well, alright, not the right metaphor. 20/20 is the latest and her work and her back catalogue goes back as far as 2010. I need to take my time with her music, but I am glad I went and took something home. I took more pictures than this, I am saving them to post with thoughts on 20/20.
Zig
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