Quinn Walker
8 out of 10 - Great. Good show.
Wednesday, December 05, 2007
Union Pool - Brooklyn
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Singer/songwriter Quinn Walker is known for taking pop sounds and twisting them into something that sounds like a slightly freakish carnival drawing ominously closer and closer. His point /counter-point approach to music carries over to the man, himself. Taking the stage late on a snowy night, Walker looked like someone who buzzed in from another planet. Seated with his guitar in front of red drum set, with a tambourine at his feet, the singer was dressed in layers. A rainbow-colored poncho was draped over a blue hoodie for a look that was part psychedelic sprite and part indie hipster. White face paint was streaked under his eyes in a way that might just remind you of tears on a clown.
While his fashion sense might not land him on the cover of Vogue, his music is definitely taking him places. He was recently signed by Bianca Cassidy's (Coco Rosie) label Voodoo-EROS, the first male artist to be added to their roster. It's a place where he's sure to feel right at home. His vocals are light and airy and he sings about fireflies and porcupines in a dizzying sped up manner. Even when you think you have a handle on this guy and his music, he's bound to thrown a curve ball into the works. Take for example, his on-stage banter. Midway through his set, Walker started off with a story about getting good grades that somehow ended up turning into a rant on gynecology. Just when I started to wonder if my (or his) drink had been spiked with something a little stronger than a single shot of Jack Daniels, Walker smiled and delivered the punch line "That was what I heard on the subway on the way over".
That kind of humor runs through his music as well. The highlight of his set was "Porcupine" a song that breezes by like it's on speed - a nature ditty dressed up as a lament on how "love is hard to find". Not only will you want to whistle along to this one, you can almost imagine Walker trotting down Main Street USA like a pied piper, leading a parade through "Blue Velvet"-like suburban towns. Whether he was strumming away on his guitar, tapping on the tambo with his foot or reaching out to beat on a drum, Quinn Walker is the kind of artist that you just can't take your eyes off of. And though you can never be sure where he's headed musically, you know you'll want to go along.
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