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Reviewed by
Kim Alexander
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Last Edit/Update
11 March, 1998
Swans
January 21 -- Chicago
January 22 -- Detroit
Despite Mr. Gira's confession he
could, "only hit two notes" the night of the concert in our interview with him
previous to the Chicago show, and that he would refrain from singing two of our requests,
the performance by Swans was *sensational*! It was easy to float along on the
trance-ambient waves of sound that permeated the room. We were very happy with the set
lengths of around 1.5 hrs. which consisted of new un-released material, with the exception
of two songs from previous releases of Swans.
Never before attending a Swans live
performance (kim), I was most impressed with how the artists worked together to create a
sort of *zen-like* mood on stage, whereas the music "became" them, affording me
the opportunity to not only enjoy the sea of sounds but also to "feel" the
intensity of the hypnotic state, deepening the trance-body effect upon me as they played.
The St. Andrews show in Detroit the following night was equally as good with a similar set
as in Chicago, mainly unreleased material. Both venues were pretty much *full house*.
Jarboe presented herself on
keyboards and brought forth her vocals in two songs which displayed the same mesmerizing
intensity of the entire group.
It was obvious to me there was much
more than just *music* at both of these shows. I was moved by the waxing and waning of
Swan's compositions which gave me a sense of renewal and (yes) hope that in fact shines
through the dark days of futility. Swans music has taken on a new meaning for me now, it's
not however the end of Swans for me, it's the beginning of a new and refreshing mode of
listening pleasure in which I may now escape with, into a unique realm of pure sound-scape
that only Swans can present. The experience of Swans live was a most serious venture for
me, one I will not soon forget.
Special thanks to the following for
making my experience with Swans a reality: waste.org, all the people who work here, B.
Mitchell at Deluxx Media, The Double Door: Chicago, St Andrews Hall: Detroit, Michael
Lund, Rene Christensen in Denmark, and of course, Michael Gira for kindly allowing us to
speak with him during our live interview in Chicago.