Kevin Bronson on September 20th, 2014

0

Three years and two EPs since she was serving food at a restaurant down the block, Meg Myers headlined the Echo on Thursday night, proving every bit as enigmatic as she was when she introduced herself as a “Daughter in the Choir.”

||| Photos by Carl Pocket, courtesy of the Echo

Myers’ short-ish set – eight songs in the main part, two in the encore – provided plenty of sing-along moments for many in the sold-out crowd who relate to her tug-of-war between mind and libido. Is she needy and possibly even compliant (“How do you want me?” she pleads in “Desire”), or is she a Screaming Mimi “Leave me alone!” she implores in “Go”)? Guess you’ll have to wait until the full-length to find out.

Speaking of which, Myers’ set included one song, “Say Nothing,” which she has played regularly on tour, and a new one, “Motel,” in which she again professes to be fighting her feelings. Here, she recalls some of the bold, powerful songstresses of the 1990s – voices like Dolores O’Riordan of the Cranberries, Sinead O’Connor and Alanis Morissette. It’s Myers’ disregard for adhering to one sonic style that keeps things interesting. She’s rock belter one minute, pop siren the next, vulnerable folkie after that. On Thursday, the latter persona shone in her first encore song, the acoustic guitar ballad “The Morning After.”

Executing all that live makes for some challenges, and Myers makes discerning use of backing tracks for electronic textures and certain secondary vocals. Ken Oak’s presence on cello gives her live set-up a distinctive flavor (and a beautifully mournful touch on some songs) and multi-instrumentalist Mike Goldman (Chasing Kings, et al) services the guitar parts with aplomb.

Myers herself plays serviceable bass guitar on some songs, but the Tennessee native is at her best simply emoting, as well as engaging in some onstage calisthenics. Certainly she was a diminutive spectacle by the time she performed the title track to her 2014 EP for Atlantic Records, “Make a Shadow.” Not long after, she delivered her two EPs’ most recognizable songs, “Curbstomp” and “Desire,” with vicious energy. Absent much in the way of banter or dialogue with the audience, that seemed plenty to satiate the masses.

She finished the show with the explosive “Head Head Heart,” off that second EP, with Oak’s incredible cello part articulating the conflict as effectively as any anxiety-ridden lyric. “I’d die for for just one kiss,” Myers confesses in a near-whisper. And your heart wants to believe it.

Irontom preceded Myers with a typically unchained set of glam-meets-indie-meets-metal, with lead singer Harry Hayes buffeting all over the stage to Zach Irons heavy-duty shedding. Openers Bizzy Kiddo made a strong impression as well.