words by Patty Riek, photos by Jon Bauer
Surrounded by velvet curtains and sultry mood lighting, the Palace of Fine Arts Theatre felt like an intimate jazz bistro as Chanteuse, Madeleine Peyroux, took the stage on March 21, 2024. In “Me and the Mosquito,” Peyroux’s speaker describes herself as “kind and playful” (except in the presence of the titular mosquito) which is an apt description of Peyroux and the themes underpinning her show.
Working her way through old favorites such as “You’re Going to Make Me Lonesome When You Go” and “Don’t Wait Too Long,” Peyroux retold a Robin Williams joke and opined that going to more live concerts offers a solution to just about every problem.
Peyroux, with Andy Ezrin on keys, Paul Frazier on bass, Graham Hawthorne on drums, also previewed a number of songs from the soon to be released Let’s Walk (June 28) including “Blues for Heaven,” “Showman Dan,” and the aforementioned “Me and the Mosquito.”
Peyroux gently reminds us to experience all of life – the failures that lead to new growth; love, even love lost, offers fond memories – to be alive is to feel a range of emotions.
In addition to her own work, Peyroux shared her own vocally personal renditions of Leonard Cohen’s “Dance me to the End of Love” and Bessie Smith’s “Don’t Cry Baby.” Playing acoustic guitar, using her vocal intonation, and adding personal stories, Peyroux exemplifies why she thinks live music is so important – personal connections.
Peyroux closed her regular set with the titular song “Let’s Walk” dedicated to all of the “beautiful protests” in the world. Her encore – a sing-a-long version of “La Vie en Rose” was a gentle reminder to try to see the good in life.
Opening for Peyroux was multiple grammy winner and Bay Area favorite, Fantastic Negrito (Xavier Amin Dphrepaulezz.) Playing only with Clark Sims on electric guitar (rather than his multi-piece band), Fantastic Negrito opened with an old favorite – “Lost in a Crowd” – which was new to many in the audience. Continuing in his playfully irreverent tone, Fantastic Negrito noted his work was like “church without the religion” before launching into “Oh Betty” (about his white indentured servant and enslaved ancestors) from White Jesus, Black Problems.
A showman at heart, this set displayed new sartorial touches with Dphrepaulezz and Sims sporting velvet dusters adorned with gold embroidery. Confessional moments about Dphrepaulezz’s personal experiences – being in a coma for three weeks, and learning more about his father and “all his lies” from Ancestry.com – reinforce Peyroux’s notion about the power of life music to forge connections. The workshop nature of this performance was a rare opportunity to hear new Fantastic Negrito pieces, personal stories and see Dphrepaulezz and Sims experiment with the music out in front of us.
Madeleine Peyroux:
Fantastic Negrito:
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