The pairing of Jupiter One and Regina Spektor on tour is so genius that only Spektor herself could have come up with it. Their raucous yet refined sound was the perfect set-up for Spektor’s melodic and quirky performance.
However, it was only through luck that Spektor even discovered the indie rock band, who are now on their first major tour after releasing their new album, “Sunshower.”
“K Ishibashi, our lead singer, was performing in Berlin with Regina [playing violin for her tour], and her opening band dropped out,” Dave Heilman, drummer for Jupiter One, said in an interview with The Eagle. “He played her our stuff and she liked it!”
The Brooklyn-based band, comprised of K Ishibashi, Zac Colwell, David Heilman and Pat Dougherty, is influenced mainly by Led Zeppelin and the Beatles.
“We just really wanted this album to sound more natural, more like stuff from the ‘60s and ‘70s,” Colwell, who did most of the songwriting with Ishibash, in addition to playing the guitar, keyboard and flute, said, adding, “We wanted it to sound like a live band.”
According to Colwell, this album is a major departure from their former sound; “Sunshower” rocks hard, but has a sophisticated edge.
As DAR Constitution Hall filled up, the audience started bobbing their heads. The crowd was made up of all ages and races, and even though the music was too loud, hectic and extremely rock ‘n’ roll, everyone dug it. Midway through their performance, Colwell and Ishibashi traded their guitars for a flute and violin. The sound created a major change, transporting and ethereal, and made the calmest moment of their performance. There was a smooth transition to the song, “Find Me A Place,” a Beatles-esque melody that was soft and poetic, with K crooning, “All the magic/It was so suddenly a different shade of blue/Call it tragic/The only thing I had was the memory of you.” Finally, their act came to a close; but in Jupiter One fashion, it ended with a bang, like an amalgam of melodic chaos. Then it was time for Regina Spektor.
Wearing a modest black dress, a gigantic smile and a halo of reddish brown curls, she walked onstage and the audience went wild.
“Thank you so much for coming,” she whispered into the microphone. With that, she plunged into the first song, her hands moving swiftly along the grand piano. Her voice was intense and her talent so evident that the crowd was immediately enraptured. One man was so overcome that he shouted, “Damn, you’re good, woman!” to which she laughed.
As Spektor continued through her set, her music became more intense, her perfect, wavering voice singing about love and overdosing on drugs. She was bathed in mellow tangerine and lemon lighting; other times, it was a deep amethyst, splashed with emerald. A haunting rendition of “Apres Moi” flooded the stage with red light while the thoughtful “Two Birds” was a kaleidoscope of rainbow colors.
In between each song, Spektor whispered a shy “thank you.” After the first few numbers, she moved away from the piano and picked up the mic to sing a humorous a cappella version of “Silly Eye Color Generalizations.” Then she grabbed her teal electric guitar and belted out “Bobbin’ For Apples” and the hilarious, quirky song “That Time.” Her performance was incredible thus far, but the most impressive act was yet to come.
Spektor sat back at her piano, took out a drumstick and placed a chair next to her piano. With one hand she played piano, and with the other drummed a steady beat on the seat of the chair. This avant-garde rendition of “Poor Little Rich Boy” summed up Regina Spektor’s eccentric appeal; she is equal parts poet and kook, but in the most fantastic way.
Spektor performed without inhibitions and really connected with the fans. And that voice? Angelic. In retrospect, her performance can only be described as stunning.
