Cibo Matto @ Brooklyn Bowl - July 12th, 2011
Photos: Chris; Review: Jessica Callender
On a balmy Tuesday in one of the swankiest areas of Williamsburg, Brooklyn, Cibo Matto proceeded to blow the minds of 500 or so people at Brooklyn Bowl last night. Eclectic sound man Sxip (pronounced as “Skip”) Shirey served as opening act as he beguiled and tantalized audience members with his vast array of sounds that can only be described as juxtaposed harmonized chaos. Performing tracks from his most recent effort Sonic New York, one song that etched itself into my memory was a cover of Anita Ward’s “Ring My Bell.” Shirey renovates the classic giving it a darker, bluesy aspect as well as attaching a touch of longing utilizing the beautiful vocals of his cute female companion, Rachel Prince. Other songs I recognized were “I Live In New York City” and “Asleep on the Subway.” After a nearly hour long set, it was time for Shirey to pack up his gear in lieu of the main event.
At 10:21pm, with the air tense with excitement, the crowd began to liven exponentially as the members of Cibo Matto quietly assembled on stage. While Miho Hotari addressed the showgoers, it was apparent that these folks were already keyed in and ready to have a good time. The women began their set with “Beef Jerky” and “Le Pain Perdu” as the audience sang along with every word and truly began to groove out. Of course, patrons didn’t fully lose it until the opening notes to “Sugar Water” played. Miho’s voice was instantly hypnotic as the sway and bounce of the track dripped effortlessly throughout the performance. “Spoon” was played shortly after and with it came the appearance of their bassist and drummer. Another song worthy of note was the sweetly alluring performance of “Moonchild,” with Miho’s vocals backed by surprise guest Sean Lennon.
Miho and Yuka performed two new songs last night as well, “Tenth Floor Ghost Girl” and “Check-In.” Considering that both tracks are indicative of the future of Cibo Matto and their new sound, they were surprisingly quite modern without the loss of the duo’s edge, which made me fairly excited about their upcoming album. And apparently everyone else was equally hyped about the women. Shortly after 11pm, following almost an hour of play, Cibo Matto attempted to close out their set only to return for an encore after a most raucous and spirited bout of applause and cheers; finally ending the night with “Know Your Chicken”.
There was a certain grace to this performance that I haven’t seen a very long time. Cibo Matto played effortlessly and skillfully as well maintained the crowd’s energy levels on such a positive note. It’s the joy and hope of every music patron that their favorite artists exude that caliber of professionalism and considering the blast I had at Brooklyn Bowl; I for one, am ecstatic about the glorious return of Cibo Matto.
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Below, check out a full set of photos of both Sxip Shirey and Cibo Matto, as well as Cibo Matto's setlist. Also, thanks to Panya Media, you can stream Cibo Matto's entire set last night. Tickets are still on sale for their Bowery Ballroom show on Monday, 7/18...
