St. Vincent @ 7th St. Entry
Last night, St. Vincent blew the roof off of the 7th St. Entry. She was sandwiched between local emo-prog-rock band, Elk, and Crosby, Stills, Nash, and Young worshipers, Midlake. More on that later.
Dressed in an 80′s-era moo-moo dress (I am no fashion expert, obviously) and oversized, flat prescription lenses, St. Vincent, a.k.a. Annie Clark, blasted through a set of the weirdest and most heart-touching songs I have ever heard. Though the course of her 30-minute set, she played two guitars, used about ten pedals, used a microphone to amplify her foot-stomping, played a keyboard behind a black facade, and utilized 3 different microphones (one of which resembled an empty can of pork and beans). Her set was exactly the right length and left me longing for more and more of her powerful, yet subdued vocals.
Local boys, Elk, led off the show with a set that was more notable for the funny exchanges between the audience and the band’s engaging front man than for any musical exploits.
To cap the show off, Midlake played a passionate set that was fun to watch, if only for the fact that they regularly showcased 4-person harmonies. This is an impressive feat these days, and this band pulled it off well. The main reason I was not all that impressed with these guys is that they were completely shy and didn’t make eye-contact with the audience once. As human beings, I think it’s important to recognize the importance of such interaction. 
Anyway, the few times that the band did recognize the audience’s existence, they were funny and warm. The most interesting exchange occurred when the lead guitarist’s was having technical difficulties, and the band went about having a conversation about how to address the situation. “What should we do now?” was heard a few times during the exchange, which elicited a garble of laughter each time it was said.