On Monday, March 15th 2010, I found myself in the intimate front lobby of New York venue Joe’s Pub (4th Avenue between 7th and 8th Street, New York), standing around awkwardly bumping into patrons on the top tier of the jazz club-y space with my media juggernaut BFF Rohin. He did his best to remain cool and aloof as we waited; I did my best to bump into everyone and spill snacks from my bag onto the floor (generally in public, I’m like a soccer mom only without the kids). But eventually we overflowed into some seats. Joe’s Pub is meant for an audience of a certain size; anything beyond that, and things get uncomfortable, but for Brisbane-based singer-songwriter Kate Miller-Heidke’s US opener it was almost certainly the perfect venue. Tuesday marked the beginning of Miller-Heidke’s American tour, and the day before, her album Curiouser was also released here.
Joe’s Pub is part dinner theatre, part dark nightclub, part music venue, and (unlike most New York venues), they like to keep things on the clock. There was no opening act, and Kate got onstage promptly at 7:30 with her guitarist (and, mixing business and pleasure, her husband) Kier Nuttall. Awash with the gorgeous lighting of the venue and clearly stoked about the receptive crowd, the pair opened with “Politics in Space.” This song is agreeably percussive and funny and a great opener. Listen here:
Kate Miller-Heidke — “Politics in Space”
It is true that Miller-Heidke is quirky and deserves the comparisons to famous alien pop lady weirdos (cheap comparisons I’ll save for other blogs, really). But she also has her own peculiarities: her voice changes pitch and octave in unpredictable and interesting ways, and she’s really used to using it as an instrument (like on her single “Can’t Shake It”). She also gets downright gritty sometimes, banging feverishly on the piano keys and roaring like a demon, or unleashing operatic notes as her tambourine breaks on her hip. These moments are when I like Miller-Heidke best (but everyone who knows me knows that I have always been one for Vegas-lounge-queen-grade melodrama). This is why it surprised me whenever she showcased one of her more traditionally written songs – predictably progressing piano ballads with emotional lyrics, lovely but somewhat too Lilith Fair (songs like “Caught in the Crowd” and the platinum-going “Last Day On Earth”, both tidy and nice but not for me).
But I don’t want to quibble. The set was clever, well played, interesting, and great fun to listen to. Miller-Heidke’s stage banter (something that I usually cringe about *cough* TORIAMOS *cough*) is absolutely endearing and won’t pander to anyone, including the audience or the venue – at one point she stopped and proclaimed that she had never before played anywhere that smelled of “such pungent fish,” referring to the food a patron in front was enjoying. And we got to hear her excellent Britney Spears cover, complete with the aforementioned opera flourishes. Really, if you like music with personality (and clearly you do or you wouldn’t be here at Grizzlypants), and you are lucky enough to be in one of the towns Miller-Heidke and Nuttall will be hitting on their tour, you should go hear out their rather incomparable pop brand.
Finally, for some topical humor (as opposed to the “tropical humor” of the malaria-related practical joke Mike tried to play on the office after one of his Africa jaunts), hear out this little ditty:
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rohin
/ March 19, 2010She’s a gem. I hope writers aren’t lazy that they think they have to approximate her to a Tori or Regina facsimile, ugh. She’s so deliciously pop, but her voice makes her non-pop too.
What I loved were that the two “Lilith Fair“y tracks also do a pretty poor job of showcasing what she’s capable of. They’re pretty run-of-the-mill ballads.
rohin
/ March 19, 2010I meant to by “loved” I meant how you identified those as her weaker points–because she’s clearly capable of doing brilliant things.
Niina
/ March 20, 2010I agree. For a mediocre songwriter, those are high points — immaculate in structure, with a nice chorus and melody — but for KMH they just bring it down.
Mike
/ March 20, 2010say what you will, I still maintain drinking gin in a mosquito net adds a touch of quirky charm to any office environment.
Niina
/ March 21, 2010I mean, anything to make the workday whiz by, am I right?
Elissa
/ June 26, 2010I am a huge fan of hers, but I met her recently and she totally blew me off. Last time i saw her she said she would stay for a chat in the back and at that time, she also just ignored me. I still love her music and her husband is soo nice, but she is either anti-social or just kind of a bitch who thinks she’s better than everyone.