Live Concert Review
EMILIE AUTUMN: Live in Chicago, 9/29/2001
by Bryan A. Bushemi

To see Emilie Autumn perform is to watch an artist uncompromisingly demand attention. At least, that was the case for Autumn’s set at the Elbo Room on Saturday, September 29, 2001. Autumn took the stage in a swirl of shimmering cloth and gleaming flesh just after 10 p.m., backed by a four-piece ensemble consisting of not only the standard guitar/bass/drums but also, of all things, a cellist.

Dressed in a bejeweled, golden, midriff-baring bustier, a faux-wolf’s-pelt skirt, polished platform combat boots, and a garland of ivy and crimson blossoms crowning her waist-length, flowing, red tresses, Autumn exuded a fierce-yet-delicate elfin quality as she began the set with a graceful melody on her sleek, black, electric fiddle. From there, her playing increased to a blinding, finger-flying pace that took hold of the uncertain audience’s attention, drawing them towards the stage. By the time she and her band transitioned with feed-back-rife, rumbling pulses to "Across the Sky", almost everyone in the crowd was focused on her.

Moving with sinuous grace, shifting from a bell-clear lilt to a silvery snarl, Autumn sent her voice soaring above the pounding rhythm section of Jim Vanaria’s bass and Heath Jansen’s drumming. The metronome-steady foundation of their playing provided a solid base for her vocals and fiddle pyrotechnics to dance over. It was interesting to see the audience’s reaction to the admittedly unusual juxtaposition of a traditional rock ensemble against Autumn’s seemingly stepped-out-of-fantasy appearance and musical stylings.
Throughout the 11-song set, guitarist Ben Lehl’s extremely facile playing perfectly complimented and supported Autumn’s captivating performance. Amazingly so, considering that Lehl plays without a left hand, attaching the pick to the end of his arm—but by the time I noticed, I took it for granted; it simply added to the unique nature of the performance.

Seated onstage to Autumn’s left was cellist Joey Harvey. While it is certainly unusual for such an instrument to be included in a rock show, Harvey’s skilled playing added immeasurably to the effect. Indeed, without him—intense, brooding, with long, Viking-like blond hair reminiscent of a Nordic warrior-minstrel—serving as the gatekeeper between the solid reality of the band and Autumn’s otherworldly presence, there might have been too much disparity between the band and their frontwoman.

The set contained several highlights: the previously mentioned "Across the Sky"; Autumn’s fiery, slashing violin solo during "Chambermaid", which also featured gorgeous vocal breaks interspersed between sharp, almost growling rapping by Autumn; and the closing trio of songs, "What If?", "By the Sword", and "Rose Red."
The first of those three, which evokes a favorable comparison to singers such as Tori Amos, showcased Autumn’s ability as a musical storyteller and was wonderfully bracketed by Autumn and Harvey, both exuding a sincere, intense passion that infused the performance. "By the Sword" was the pinnacle of the evening, prefaced by Autumn’s electric-fiddle rendition of "The Star-Spangled Banner" and her explanation of the song’s origin in response to the tragic World Trade Center disaster on September 11.

Although Autumn played with a bit too much flourish during "The Star-Spangled Banner", the audience responded with enthusiasm and loud, sustained applause to the touching offering, except for the few inconsiderate dimwits who insisted on continuing to yammer during the rendition. However, even they were silenced during "By the Sword", which was quintessential Emilie Autumn, combining passion and skill, bombast and delicacy in a wonderful mixture of thoroughly modern rock and mythic storytelling. The band, although sharp throughout, was at its tightest and most energetic here. At this point, the crowd was almost completely focused on Autumn and her able "brothers" on the stage.

The set ended with "Rose Red" and its chiming church-bell beginning under Autumn’s a cappella vocals, transitioning into thunderous drumming, exploding into a flurry of sound and motion from Emilie and her band. The finale waxed and waned in tidal fashion, building to a crescendo that truly deserved the oft-clichéd term "incendiary."
While not a perfect show—Autumn took the barking rapping of "Heard It All" to an extreme that proved to be jarring rather than innovative, providing a poor segue to the sweet-voiced "What If?"—it was certainly interesting and crowd-pleasing. Autumn is a skilled musician, as are her band members, and her feral-but-ravishing, gothic-woodland-sylph image is captivating, as is her music.

Afterwards, privately, Autumn expressed her respect for the audience’s attentiveness, for although it was apparent that initially they did not know what to make of her, their response was gratifying, particularly to the very meaningful "By the Sword." Which, ultimately, is the most that musicians can hope for, and it means they have done their job well that night.