Dispatches from the Third Row, Center-Left

More from the Littlefield gig. Bryce and Pedro being total badasses.

Before the show started, the curtain between the bar and stage areas was still partially drawn while the musicians were arranging their equipment and the audience was slowly filling in, so I took a seat at the bar and ordered a drink while waiting to get a good spot. At some point, while watching Sufjan mess around on stage, I became aware that Bryce was behind me speaking French with someone, and then he was plugging in his amplifier in the bar area and just casually warming up with a little bowed guitar. Sweet Jesus. It seemed improvised, but he threw in some recognizable portions of Planetarium, with and without the bow. I’m dead now. Writing this from the grave.

Pedro with the electric guitar was priceless. “Take pictures!” said Gaspar. But then they dimmed the lights and ran a projection, so we couldn’t actually see him playing it. But everything he played was wonderful. Gaspar was fascinating to watch; he played every part of the cello and produced some really strange and beautiful sounds.

I think Pedro’s guitar, the piano, and Sufjan’s electronic bells and whistles were the only things that were not played with a bow at some point during the gig. The drummer was bowing his cymbals at one point. It was Bowapalooza. Bownaroo. I’ll stop now…