S.Lo on October 20th, 2019

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Enterprise KAZU descended upon the Lodge Room on Friday night, where Blonde Redhead followers gathered to witness the solo creation of frontwoman Kazu Makino. Catching the light in a shimmery silver short dress that allowed her freedom to dance, she and her band, armed with violin (Darian Thomas), Mellotron (Thomas and Kazu) and Prophet synths (Sam Evian), and acoustic & electric drums (Ian Chang of Son Lux/Landlady, who also played on the studio album), took all on a ride that traversed the realms of ambient, indie, art, orchestral and avant rock in traceless paths that kept all enraptured in the unfolding present moment. They played the songs of “Adult Baby,” released last month under her label of the same name, co-produced with Sam Griffin Owens and distributed by !K7, with contributions from Ryuichi Sakamoto, Brazilian percussionist Mauro Refosco (Atoms for Peace, Red Hot Chili Peppers, David Byrne), Chang and a full orchestra.

The album was conceived on Elba Island in Tuscany, Italy, where Kazu first joined Amedeo Pace years ago as a couple, which later led to the musical trio of Blonde Redhead with Pace’s twin brother Simone. Needing to escape her longtime home in New York in late 2017, she returned to the serenity of the island, “… in the middle of the sea, where nature is lovely in a gentle, mild way. The moment I got there I began to feel calm, protected, safe,” the singer said. “It all flowed so naturally, I don’t think I’ve ever made a record with such serenity. I’ve always suffered a bit over music, but this time I felt different, as if I’d started living again.”

On songwriting, she also shared, “It’s almost as if I were able to see a ghost. When I compose I fall into a certain state and then, at some point, they start to appear, and I have to catch them on the fly to prevent them from disappearing, so I don’t lose them, so they don’t go back to their invisible state.” “Adult Baby” (the title initially inspired by clubs where powerful men apparently go to be treated like children), she said, is a blend of pop and more primitive explorations captured in Elba, complex and yet simple.

The show began from that primal place with “Place of Birth,” with Thomas alternating from violin to taking Kazu’s place on keys as she ventured into deeper states of the subsconscious to give voice to the spirit of the song. The rest of the set wound through roads of bittersweet regret, isolation, indignation, yearning and reflection to epic triumph. Sonically, Kazu’s solo set had more contemplation and room for quiet listening and thoughtfulness than the traditional Blonde Redhead set, from searing whale-like violins singing over echo-ing soft synths (“Unsure in Waves”) to jazzy croons suspending in both minor and major keys (“Coyote”).

The audience favorite was clearly the single “Salty,” with all bursting in massive cheers at the intro loop, dancing along with Kazu to the trippy drums as her vocals trailed into the synths. The entire band was grateful for the reception and smiled together at the loud whoops as they took a breath after the song. Before the waltz-like closing song, “Come Behind Me, So Good!” Kazu seized the chance to dedicate it to a friend, “I have nothing to say except the next song is dedicated to Eva [Michon, video director]. She’s done so much for me, she’s family.” In the glorious instrumental end, with soaring synths and violin, Kazu rode high, dancing in a trance with arms raised, drawing the audience into her world, all hypnotized in the same dream.

In response to the extended, loud cheers after the encore (“Undo”), Kazu took another moment to offer gratitude on behalf of her and the band, “Thank you. This means a lot to us. It’s so new, we started playing together October 1st.” Considering the mastery presented, all were incredulous as they cheered. Kazu stayed a long moment after the band departed the stage to receive and acknowledge the crowd’s enthusiasm, nodding with grace and humility.

Austin’s My Empty Phantom opened the show with experimental instrumentals.

||| Watch: The official video for KAZU’s “Salty”

KAZU setlist: Place of Birth; Name and Age; Adult Baby; Unsure in Waves; Meo; Salty; Coyote; Come Behind Me, So Good! / Encore: Undo

Review and photos by S.Lo