Regina Spektor Live Review

With her eccentric thrift-store wardrobe, quirky mannerisms and charming demeanor, Regina Spektor's live persona is less like a growing major-label star than a shy outcast kid who takes the stage at a high school talent show and wins over the crowd with her talent and sweetness.

Of course, that only really happens in the movies. Real kids are too jaded and clique-conscious to cheer on the weird kid. And in this case, Spektor was already a very popular kid before she even got on campus.

Six months after playing her first Colorado show to a half-empty crowd, she sold out a larger theater full of adoring fans who knew every word and swooned at every note. Early in the show, about five fans in the front section tried to one-up each other in the "We Love You, Regina" shouts. One guy was so enamored with Spektor (or knew about his girlfriend's obsession) that he proposed on stage.

Before the encore, Spektor introduced the pair as "my friends." While she looked bashful, he took the mike. This being election season, his multiple piercings and dyed hair led many to expect a political rant. Instead, he said he could imagine nothing great than spending the rest of his life with the similarly dressed, pierced and dyed girl next to him.

Not every artist can inspire this kind of adoration. In 18 months, this guy went from complete ignorance of Spektor's existence to spending the rest of his life saying "I proposed at a Regina Spektor show."

The adoration is the result of her mix of impressive live talent and "aw shucks" charm.

Spektor came out alone in a frilly tutu over black jeans and heavy boots, then proceeded to smile, say hi and launch into an a capella b-side, "Ain't No Cover," accompanied only by the beat of her fingers on the microphone.

She then sat at her piano for the rest of the set, playing her pretty tunes and belting out her captivating vocals. The exception was a faithful rendition of "That Time" on electric guitar. The song is a clever, disarming list of memories that switches in one verse from "remember that time I would only smoke Camels?" to "remember that time we o.d.ed?"

Spektor's music, though all melodic and charming, thrives on such surprises and twists, both musical and lyrical.

Like some of U2's famed live stunts, Spektor's onstage surprises are clearly well-rehearsed and may seem a little stale after a couple of shows. But nobody outside of New York has likely seen her act more than twice, so it's all cure and fresh for now.

Her range is Billie Holliday impressive but not Mariah Carey showy. She also performs all her staccato hiccups and other vocal tricks with not studio wizardry to aid her.

After long performing as a solo artist, she has even figured out how to simulate a band with such tricks as beating a drumstick on a wooden chair.

In fact, she's such a compelling solo performer, a band doesn't add much. To faithfully render songs off her latest release, "Begin to Hope," a bassist, guitarist and drummer joined her for about half the main set.

Sadly, her mediocre touring band didn't add much to the show. She would have been better off stripping down the new songs and playing the whole set alone.

On some level, she realizes the problem. Her encore was mainly a return to solo work for two of her finest pop ditties: "Us" and "Ghost of Corporate Future." The few fans who weren't professing their love from the beginning were won over.

The punk girl said yes, by the way.

This story was originally published at www.hybridmagazine.com.