Natasha Khan has what might be the song of the year, a spellbinding new album, a performance on Letterman tonight, and the Thom Yorke stamp of approval. It's an impressive fact sheet, and it got tossed early into the haunting Two Suns standout "Glass" last night. What happened in Bowery Ballroom was a slate-wiping de novo revue, bringing the sort of magic that creates hopeless devotion. Although when people come to your show with glitter, headdresses, and marriage proposals, you're probably doing just fine.
For her part Natasha came with a new band, featuring the ex-Asher Charlotte Hatherley, beats by drummer Sarah Jones, and multi-instrumental/electronics from Ben Christophers. With them, the swagger they brought even to Fur & Gold's already swaggering "Sarah" and "What's A Girl To Do," and Khan's own evolution from carefully chosen reference points to burgeoning individuality, the shift was apparent. Knitting Factory in '07 was a promise, last night was the arrival. There's still a certain chilly, art-school mysticism at play in Natasha's presentation -- there was the stage strewn with leg lamps and figurines, there were those outfits -- though it's escaped the veil of stomping rain sticks and crept toward a midnight-electro sort of mystique. She shook to her beats, belted with her guitar, poured her heart out at the piano. Her voice was resonant and unerring, the gracious shyness of her banter long gone when in song. When dancing between tunes she was bold and sexy, trailing off into demure smiles, almost like she was embarrassed, or embarrassed to know, how well it's come together. She was, in a word, perfect. This video from last night backs me up:
[videoembed size="full_width" alignment="center"][/videoembed]
(via self-titledmag.com)
There was a lo-fi-ish version of "Daniel" early, a fully dressed take on the tune for the second encore, and a catalog-wiping spread of songs between. David Byrne was there (of course David Byrne was there). She's taking the band to the Ed Sullivan Theatre for a Letterman performance, then to Philly's First Unitarian Church, and back up here to Music Hall Of Williamsburg tomorrow night. I'll be there. Again.
SETLIST
01 "Glass"
02 "Slep Alone"
03 "Horse & I"
04 "Daniel" (Lo-Fi-ish Version)
05 "Traveling Woman"
06 "Siren Song"
07 "Wizard"
08 "Sarah"
09 "Peace Of Mind"
10 "Tahiti"
11 "What's A Girl To Do"
12 "Pearl's Dream"
----
13 "Prescilla"
14 "Good Love"
15 "Moon & Moon"
16 "Two Planets"
----
17 "Daniel" (Original Version)
Don't miss, please:
05/01 - Philadelphia, PA @ First Unitarian Church
05/02 - Brooklyn, NY @ Music Hall Of Williamsburg
05/09 - Dissonanze Festival
05/10 - Milan, Italy @ Teatro Leonardo
05/11 - Munich, German @ Ampere
05/12 - Berlin, Germany @ Postbahnhof
05/14 - Hamburg, Germany @ Knust
05/15 - Brussels, Belgium @ Botanique
05/16 - Amsterdam, Netherlands @
05/18 - Cologne, Germany @ Kulturkirche
05/19 - Lille, France @ L'Aeronef
05/20 - Nantes, France @ L'Olympic
05/22 - Toulouse, France @ Le Bikini
05/23 - Montpellier, France @ Salle Victoire 2
05/25 - Lyon, France @ Le Ninkasi
05/26 - Strasbourg, France @ La Laiterie
05/27 - Paris, France @ Le Bataclan
05/29 - Barcelona, Spain (Primavera Sound Festival)
06/10 - Seattle, WA @ The Crocodile
06/11 - Portland, OR @ Doug Fir Lounge
06/13 - San Francisco, CA @ Great American Music Hall
06/26 - Los Angeles, CA @ El Rey Theatre
06/28 - (Glastonbury Festival)
07/17 - (Latitude Festival)
08/05 - (Electric Picnic Festival - Boutique Music Festival)
08/09 - Chicago, IL (Lollapalooza)
09/11 - Bestival 2009
Bat For Lashes - "Glass" (MP3)
Letterman tonight. Set your TiVO.
