Mary Timony concert review
June 25, 2005 at Brooklyn's North Six by Jim Keller There’s something so enthralling about Mary Timony that when she walks on stage, silent anticipation fills the room. Despite not taking the Brooklyn’s North Six stage until after midnight, her reception was no different. Timony, clad in a shimmering silver halter-top, boldly lifted her guitar strap over her neck, gave drummer Devon Ocampo a nod, and began to deliver an unforgettable performance. The duo opened with “On the Floor”, (also the opener for Timony’s latest LP Ex Hex) an in-your-face rant about a vexatious drunk. “Rider on the Stormy Sea”, a classic track culled from her debut solo, Mountains, followed. This song set the crowd on fire because Timony rarely digs up her musical past on stage. When the song concluded the fans were screaming for more. Timony went on to perform several songs from Ex Hex including “Moon Song”, a more rock-infused “Silence”, and “9x3”, a crowd favorite. As if that wasn’t enough to satiate the audience’s appetite, Timony added intricate guitar picking to the song. She also gave the crowd a taste of the future by playing an as yet unnamed song, which brings to mind Slant 6 and boasts beautiful guitar picking that makes your skin tingle. Though Timony proves her might and measure both on and off-disc, Ocampo is equally commendable. He unleashed innovative rhythms that compliment Timony’s guitar style, even after pulling a double-header as lead vocalist/guitarist for Medications earlier that evening. This tour marks a new beginning for Timony as she has shed the icy on-stage persona of her Helium days, as well as the angst-ridden one from her Mountains tour. Instead, Timony - perhaps taking a cue from her choreographed “Dr. Cat” dance during The Golden Dove era - smiles widely, jumps around and proudly displays her guitar abilities by holding it out in front of her in true rock star fashion. With further improvisation on “Backwards/Forwards”, which ended in a tumultuous wave of Black Sabbath-esque chords, Timony went out with a bang. The crowd wanted more so Timony delivered “Return to Pirates” and another Mountains track, “The Bell.” Timony’s return to the guitar is triumphant and Ocampo’s beats are solid. What more can one ask for? I’d say the hex is lifted. from Venus Zine |
