Andrew Bird

I took in the Andrew Bird concert last night at The Guthrie downtown Minneapolis and what a great show! The girlfriend got us tickets for my B-day last week (thanks baby!) and I’d been looking forward to the concert all week.

I really enjoy Andrew Bird’s music and listen to him a lot. I've even made a couple attempts to go and see him but every time I do so far plans either fell through or tickets were sold out (which is usually the case).

Well the concert last night was truly worth the wait! The best way I can describe an Andrew Bird performance is best summed up as a musical ADHD performance ... that entertains wonderfully. I’ll elaborate ...

As he is playing his songs (he uses multiple instruments so ...) he uses a “looping machine” with controls down at his feet. And before the performance he took his shoes off to be more comfortable, so he controls everything in his stocking feet to play sections of his performance over and over. Then he keeps switching between multiple instruments throughout a song A LOT. Between his many violin, multiple guitars, whistling, electronics, farm animal kids toy and clapping sessions all switching back and forth, Andrew Bird manages to get so into his music that he dances with what I can only describe as "crazy legs" taking him dancing all over the stage, while he sways his head all over the place. The fact that he doesn't fall over it a feat in itself!

It may sound like a crazy messed-up performance, but what's funny is it all works harmoniously together and makes for one heck of a show. I was left stunned at this musical screaming genius. This guy is so freaking talented that I’m sure he’s has to have next to no social skills. (That’s usually how it seems to work, right? Gifted in one department or one side of the brain and not in the other. Maybe not, every time he spoke he didn't say much, but he did seem like an exceedingly nice guy dressed in his 3-piece suit.)

Well, the concert lasted for 3 hours; once Andrew Bird got into his performance he couldn’t stop! The songs went on forever it seemed, but still managed to entertain so you didn’t get bored.

Overall, just a wonderful concert and evening and I got to hear the two songs I came for so all is right with the world. Thank you Andrew Bird, you put on a most entertaining show. Don't be a stranger to Minneapolis, please come back to visit often!