Andrew Bird, Toad's (Richmond, VA), 9/30/2007

by Lauren Hoessly
10/03/2007

Andrew Bird’s socks distracted me as the sounds of his violin filled the multi-color lit room at Toad’s in downtown Richmond. Like the lights, Mr. Bird’s socks are brightly colored and did not match his light colored suit. I do not know about Andrew Bird’s musical history, except that like wine, he just keeps getting better over time.

I am very in love with one CD of Bird’s - Thrills - and several new songs thanks to the internet. Every time I hear his music, it is like a newly discovered door opening to a breathtaking mountaintop.

Bird’s stage presence, bolstered by his, well, bird-like whistling capability, paved the way for musical success. Since I am no expert on Bird’s discography (he has made over ten CDs in the past ten years), seeing him live demonstrated for me how fans can engage so many records over so many years. Andrew Bird creates music flawlessly, quickly and intentionally. I never saw him smile, but his concentration on whistling, guitar, violin, and various other instruments and objects made me realize how much sweat and tears go into the genius that is Andrew Bird.

Before I arrived to witness said genius, I had the chance to drive around Richmond (really, I was trying to find a parking spot). Richmond is lovely in the evening and it’s a great place to walk around before a show. Toad’s is a fairly new venue with an unfortunate name and a capacity near 1400. Somehow I managed to stand front row, which really helps if you are trying to take pictures or smile too much at the artist.

Around nine-thirty, the lights grew dim and that familiar swooping noise (made by a large, double Victrola rotating) announced Bird’s entrance. He came on stage and immediately kicked off his shoes. To his right, a drummer sported a green oxford and beard. To his left, the bass player stood with various objects, ready for a good time. Objects of the night included: a knife, fan, screw driver, piece-of-metal-something, and things like a sock monkey sitting next to a speaker.

For the next two hours, Andrew Bird stood on stage twitching his head to the left, standing on his brightly colored tiptoes, moving from violin to guitar in the blink of an eye, and looping music with the touch of his foot. Real fans stood around me and sang along to the old and the new, while I took notice of Bird’s hair. Dark and somewhat curly, his hair constantly moved as the night progressed. A real highlight of the show was Bird recording noises with a children’s toy – I am pretty sure it was an animal noise.

Bird’s whistling was pitch perfect and his cheeks moved naturally as he created harmonic sounds. His motions were very loose and his tunes carried through the audience with grace and confidence. The drummer and bass player were both amazing and kept in pace with Bird’s energy. Despite the energy, after playing an hour and a half, I could tell Mr. Bird was getting tired. At first, I thought he should keep playing and satisfy the audience, but then I realized how much he gives when he plays and so I clapped; still secretly hoping he would return for just one more song – and he did.

After a loving encore, Bird returned and made us feel loved. I have been to many concerts and I have never been so inspired or introduced to such a plethora of ability and experimental music from such a variety of ordinary sources. Bird was a gentleman without the ego, fierce but gentle, and whistling all the while, making the audience - and especially me - sway with his tunes.