Laurie Anderson is one of the twentieth century’s most intriguing performance artists. This lady doesn’t just urinate in a pot, shove a bonsai in it, and call it art. She creates sprawling and thought-provoking pieces that prod viewers to play along. Her most epic and ambitious multimedia piece,
United States, included animated bits, spoken-word performances, and robotic new-wave shuffles.
Anderson became a rock critic darling in the early ’80s with the revolutionary “O Superman” single (actually a part of
United States’ much-grander picture) and the albums
Big Science and
Mister Heartbreak. Anderson’s work has gotten increasingly more complex and difficult to decipher over the years, but she’s still a captivating performer. Her latest tour centers on
Homeland, a post-9/11 treatise that serves as a sequel of sorts to the still mind-blowing United States. --
Michael Gallucci
Laurie Anderson performs at 8 p.m. Friday, April 4, at E.J. Thomas Hall, 198 Hill Street in Akron. Tickets range from $10 to $20, available by calling 330-972-7570.For a preview, listen to “O Superman” below.
