On the night of December 22, with barely 48 hours remaining in the holiday shopping season, I made my way through the frantic masses that had overtaken the sidewalk of Chicago’s Magnificent Mile. I, unlike the procrastinating consumers who surrounded me, was not looking to score a last minute bargain on the perfect Christmas gift. No, I was going to see a live performance by the Chicago native, Andrew Bird … in a museum.
For the entire month of December, the Museum of Contemporary Art in downtown Chicago exhibited an installation that transformed its atrium into a musical sound garden. A collaboration of composer/musician Andrew Bird and instrument sculptor Ian Schneller, the Sonic Arboretum is an audio/visual experimentation using plant-like phonograph speakers and streaming musical arrangements through the horns. Handcrafted from recycled birch plywood, dryer lint, and shellac, Schneller’s 70+ Specimen horn sculptures—including two dual-horned speakers on gyrating platforms—are powered by several 1930s style tube amplifiers. Bird constructed musical loops for the display using his signature sound of violin, guitar, and, of course, his infamous whistle. The loops were orchestrated with independent notes and tones resonating out of the various horns, creating a unique listening experience that is modified as guests of the museum alter their location in the exhibit.
In addition to the MCA exhibition, two sold-out performances were scheduled at the museum on December 21 and 22. During these Sonic events—there was one event previously performed at the Guggenheim in August of 2010—Bird utilizes the unique audio and spatial environment of the Sonic Arboretum to perform songs off his albums, as well as pieces composed specifically for the installation.
After reaching the museum, I walked up the spiral staircase and entered the atrium. Schneller’s curvy and colorful horns lined the white floor in a “T” formation and a small black stage divided the area into three main sections. The room seemed as though it was something out of a Tim Burton film. Bird took the stage right at 7:30 and opened with “Hole in the Ocean Floor.” As the first note rang out, I knew this would be a performance unlike anything I had experienced before. Each horn sounded a specific portion of what was being played on stage and sent it bouncing off the museum walls. The effect gave a great sense of movement in the music. You could feel the separate components of the melody shuffle passed you and flow through the atrium.
When the song ended, the room was eerily silent. It was as though the entire audience was holding its breath until the final note finished its dance through the halls and faded out. Then, a collective exhale, followed by a roar of applause.
As the night progressed, Bird played a variety of familiar songs, along with some new pieces—work that will hopefully be on the upcoming album, Break It Yourself. The sound from his violin was incredibly full and rich; every bow and pluck rang throughout your entire body and there were even moments where he seemed to get lost in his own playing. The whistling was the most powerful element of the performance. Anyone familiar with Bird’s music knows that his range and flair with whistling is nothing short of phenomenal. Hearing it through the horns of the Sonic Arboretum was truly mind-blowing and unlike anything I had heard before. During his performance of “Plasticities,” I stood beside one of the spinning horns to listen how it manipulated the sound. The result was a whistle that came and went in waves and a nearby horn carried the sound of the accompanying glockenspiel, giving the sensation that the music was actually taking up physical space in the room.
Much of the audience seemed to be moved—even awestruck—during his set, but the mood lightened a bit when Bird covered Kermit the Frog’s “Bein’ Green.” There was a slight laughter and some cheers coming from the crowd as he began to sing about the hardships of being the color of the leaves and reminds some of us of moments in our childhood. As I looked around the room, I noticed everyone was smiling. I can’t say I’ve ever really seen that at a show.
The one of the last songs performed was “Table and Chairs.” There was a younger guy whom I spoke with earlier in the evening who told me he hoped to hear that particular song; it had a special meaning for him and his girlfriend. So, I found myself with a smile again when he played it. At the end of his set, Bird walked off the stage and the applause was the loudest of the night. Moments later, he came out for his encore.
One of the great things about an artist like Andrew Bird is his appreciation and sincerity is visible on stage. Encompassing these qualities makes it possible to experience that special connection between the artist and the listener—which many of us find at our most memorable shows. After the applause started to diminish, in his soft-spoken manner, Bird graciously thanked the audience for coming out. His approachable demeanor with the setting of the museum gave the evening a certain intimate quality, as if Andrew personally invited you over to play a little music or listen to some old records.
Well after the event’s finale, many of the show’s attendees remained in the museum taking pictures of the installation and conversing with one another. I talked to several people, and it didn’t surprise me that they all were from different musical upbringings. When you have a musical genius like Bird, who has raw talent with a variety of instruments, you get an interesting mix of musical taste amongst the audience members. There was even a man who told me he only listens to Metallica but got into Andrew Bird “by accident” when he heard one of his songs at Starbucks.
Once I finally left the MCA, I hardly noticed the hysteria as I passed the department stores on my walk home down Michigan Avenue. I was full of that euphoric feeling I get after seeing such a remarkable performance. It was a special evening for me and the experience was truly unique, in that the way my ears perceived the music that night will never be replicated. And that’s the beauty of something like the Sonic Arboretum. Midway through the performance, Bird expressed the pleasure he felt working with an arrangement of this nature and he hinted at making it an annual event. Let’s hope so.
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Click here for more information on Andrew Bird and the Sonic Arboretum.