I have to admit, on the night of this concert, I found myself dragging my feet to the venue. I really didn’t want to go; I haven’t wanted to do much of anything these past few weeks, aside from obsessively scroll through articles, curl up in bed and scream into a pillow. Nevertheless, a promise is a promise is a promise, and the lineup of three fiercely unique songstresses did sound appealing. A bit begrudgingly, I made my way to Warsaw, an interesting venue with strong old school Greenpoint and auditorium assembly vibes.
Austra’s “Future Politics” is straight up lovely. The melodies are soothing earworms, the lyrics, piercing observations. In other words, exactly what I wanted to hear at that moment. The audience was in thrall and admittedly, so was I; the woman is crazy talented. Old favorites “Home” and “Beat and the Pulse” were sandwiched in between new discoveries “We Were Alive” and “I am a Monster.” I genuinely cannot stop listening to “Utopia.” It was an unexpectedly powerful evening. A respite, however brief, to the seemingly permanent tightness in my shoulders. I wasn’t happy to go, but ultimately, I was very glad I went.
Austra
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On January 20th, the album’s release day, Austra offered up “Future Politics” to fans for free or pay what you can. Proceeds went to Planned Parenthood. Via Twitter the singer explained, “This record is our commitment to envisioning something different as humans, something outside of the current systems of say what you want, take what you want, and give nothing back.” “…I would be honored for Future Politics to be part of your soundtrack to creating change.” Done and done, Austra.
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Austra
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Austra
Article: Stephanie Moise
Photos: Alx Bear
