Review: St. Vincent’s Restless Spirit Propels Rock Hall Concert

St. Vincent at the Rock Hall Credit: Photo by Brian Lumley

St. Vincent gave a solid, sometimes exhilarating performance on Friday in Cleveland, one that showed, as her solo career approached 20 years, why she’s inspired many other indie-minded artists.

The musician, making her first appearance in the area in front of a sold-out crowd outside the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame since a 2021 show at the Agora Theatre, delivered 14 songs over 90 minutes. The breadth of her material, which includes harder rocking earlier songs, piano ballads and electronic-inspired grooves, was on display, and was proof of what happens when a restless mind has time to create.
That restlessness was on display during the concert. While St. Vincent—real name Annie Clark—acknowledged the set hadn’t changed during the year-plus she toured to promote last year’s return-to-form record “All Born Screaming,” she still found ways to tinker. Whether it was through an extended musical interlude interlude or singing snippets of the Grace Jones-popularized “Warm Leatherette” and Donna Summer’s “I Feel Love” before the pulsing backbeat of “Sugarboy” gave way to the song itself, they all seemed like ways for the artist to make the songs feel fresh.

And for the most part, it did. Starting with opener “Reckless”—which began with Clark singing while piano courtesy of Rachel Eckroth wobbled behind her, only to give way to a more intense backdrop—St, Vincent and her quartet of backing musicians delivered renditions that expanded on their studio counterparts.
As for the artist herself, the show was proof how much she’s evolved. Sure, it’s been several years since she used her guitar and considerable chops as a sort-of crutch, but in that time she turned into a commanding performer. Her unique moves, like the demented catwalk turn on “Broken Man” to her dancing and prowling on “Pay Your Way in Pain,” only enhance what’s going on in the music. It’s hard to look away.

She also now wields the guitar only when she has something to say with it, like on a thrashy “Cheerleader” or during a demented solo of “Marrow.”

Her skills as a performer were enough to forgive her for yelling “Hello Cleveland” early on during the show. In her defense, though, she acknowledged it’s played out, but, but did it anyway after noting that Christopher Guest—start of “This Is Spinal Tap,” which is where the jokey phrase was popularized—played her guitar in the upcoming sequel.

Still, her restlessness occasionally got the best of her. Interjections during “New York” and show closer “Candy Darling” were distracting and momentum-killing. But those were the exceptions, and when St. Vincent focused, the results were often thrilling and showed why she remains revered.

Openers Gustaf delivered 45 minutes of herky-jerky rock that showed the quintet worshipped the dance and punk bands of the late 1970s. When the bass and drums locked in, and the guitar found space between the grooves for some noise, the music bordered on exciting. But it proved to be too much of a good thing, and despite the delivery of lead singer Lydia Gammill—whose aggression strangely lined up with the swarms of midges that repeatedly descended on the crowd—the set was a bit monotonous by the end.

Setlist:
1. Reckless
2. Fear the Future
3. Los Ageless
4. Broken Man
5. Birth in Reverse
6. Dilettante
7. Pay Your Way in Pain
8. Flea
9. Cheerleader
10. Marrow
11. New York
12. Sugarboy
13. All Born Screaming
Encore:
14. Candy Darling

Eric Heisig is a freelance writer in Cleveland. He can be reached at eheisig@gmail.com.

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