Concertgoers were mesmerized Wednesday night when sultry, Swedish singer Christine Owman graced the stage at the Living Room on the Lower East Side. Clad in a blue silk blouse, black shorts and fishnet garters, the ravishing redhead performed tracks from her album Throwing Knives, which will be released in the U.S. in May 2011.
Audience members were intrigued by the way Owman played the ukulele throughout most of her set. In the upbeat yet dreamlike track, “Circles,” she cried out, “We’re both getting older by the second. It’s time for us to grow and make sense.”
The night’s whimsical spectacle included black and white movie images projected onto a large screen behind the singer. The mesmerizing scenes were from obscure films dating back to the 1920s and 30s.
The passionate songwriter expressed raw emotion through stream of consciousness lyrics. The poems depicted within some of these appeared to ponder personal relationships and observations about others. Haunting and hopeful, questions about destiny and love lingered.
She reached her glove-adorned arms out towards the crowd as if inviting each person to come closer. In “I Live I Die,” Bowman repeated almost in a trance. “I live for you. I live for you. I was first when I tried. Take a chance at a time.”
Her long red locks, tucked behind a vintage style flapper headband, became a blur when she head banged during some of the more bizarre portions of her songs. It seemed completely normal to watch her do this. A rainbow glow of orange mixed with bright blue flickered across the sky-stage.
Listeners were left feeling satisfied from this beautiful rock show circus. One table of spectators said they were anxious to discover more about this fearless singer from Sweden. After her set she greeted New Yorkers by the bar and handed out free CDs. Christine Owman played another gig the following night, March 3, at Cin-M-Art Space at 43 Murray Street.
The rich, warm, velvety voice of Sarah Jaffe is what lured fans first and foremost to The Living Room.
The cozy, intimate venue on Ludlow Street was packed with people who escaped the beginning of another cold front in the city. It was the perfect place to get away from the wind, sit back, sip a mixed drink and behold the soulful singer.
Some had witnessed the Denton, Texas, native perform before. Others were quick to point out that the striking sound of her voice both on the radio and online persuaded them to track down her tour schedule on Facebook.
On acoustic guitar, the blonde beauty was eager to perform in front of the NYC audience. “New York is my favorite city in the United States besides Denton,” she told the crowd.
Jaffe’s overall look has completely evolved over the last year. Gone are the days when Sarah wore her long brown, mousy hair pulled back in a ponytail with wide brimmed eyeglasses. A few years ago, the girl with the soft, raspy voice was usually found dressed in jeans, a baggy t-shirt and a plain vest. Very little makeup.
At the Living Room, her bright blue eyes minus the glasses blew spectators away. The tall, slim 25-year-old was decked out a long, forest green sweater with tight jeans. A delicate amount of makeup complimented this natural beauty.
The years of exposure playing live shows in Texas and around the country prepared the artist for the latest phase in her career. In New York, she mixed old favorites with new material from her 2008 debut Even Born Again EP and her 2010 full-length debut, Suburban Nature.
Early in the set, her scarlet-colored lips belted out with ferocious intensity the lyrics to “Under” – “I ain’t in love with the world. I’m just in love with its glow. I ain’t nobody’s girl, ain’t nobody pull me under.”
The lovely Miss Jaffe was backed by her talented band of session players for the entire show, including a pianist, drummer, violinist and two guitarists. Instead of waiting until the end of the show, Sarah delivered a memorable rendition of her popular single, “Clementine.”
The powerful tune has been described as one of “wistful regret.” At times, it was gentle and soothing. Then, sheer joy spread through the audience as the tempo picked up. Like many in her collection, the song tends to crescendo in separate mini-climaxes.
“We were young, we were young, we didn’t care. Is it gone, is it gone, is it floating in the air? I changed my mind, I changed my mind, now I’m feeling different,” she sang gracefully in “Clementine.”
Jaffe and the gang performed 10 songs, including a recent one, “Halfway Right.” Sarah said she has been writing a lot of new music lately on her laptop and is considering releasing a small EP later this spring. “When You Rest” showcased how she is melding two different worlds by combining electro-pop with her love of violin and piano.
Fans and those witnessing Sarah Jaffe for the first time were asked by the songwriter to participate in the final song, “Before You Go.” It was a lovely moment to join in unison and softly whisper her melancholy words, “My heart pretends not to know how it ends.”
The sky is the limit as to how this young woman will continue to express herself. One thing is clear: the Texas born and bred singer will not slow down any time soon. You can catch this sentimental sensation perform at SXSW at Momo’s on Friday, March 18. This will be her second appearance at the festival. Seek her out this summer when she returns to the Big Apple.
