Joanna Newsom Preview & How Was The Show?

Believe it or not, The New York Times has more pull than EAR FARM when it comes to scoring interviews, exclusives, and pretty much anything else you could imagine.

Shocker, right? And while we clamored (okay, maybe "clamored" is too strong of a word, more like emailed) to no avail to speak with Joanna Newsom prior to her two-night stand at the Brooklyn Academy of Music, Jon Pareles was busy getting cozy on his land-line with the elfin harpist. As a result, the Times got the scoop this past Monday and all we got was this stupid hyperlink.

The article is pretty fantastic though, and it provides fascinating insight into the process of transposing the subtleties of her 2006 album Ys (was I the only person unaware that Jim O'Rourke produced it?) to a live setting. My favorite Newsom nugget...

“The arrangements are really complicated,” Ms. Newsom said. “We have had certain experiences where the performance felt like it was just barely holding together, with one or two almost train-wreck moments. It’s obviously terrifying to have the force of all these musicians behind you, just piling up and tangling up if something goes wrong.”

So yeah, it's pretty much a must-read, either in preparation for tonight's BAM show or in savoring the afterglow from last night's performance. Which reminds me, anyone out there see the show last night? What did you think?

And for nostalgia's sake, check out Kelefa Sanneh's 2004 Times piece about Newsom at Bowery and Mercury. Expect further additions to the Newsom + New York Times archives following tonight's performance.

Note: As of "posting time", I haven't found any reviews/photos/goodies from last night's show, so point us in the right direction if you come across any.

Above photo found HERE

Listen:
"Sawdust and Diamonds"

Visit Joanna Newsom HERE because she doesn't seem to dig on MySpace