Somber. That would be the word I would use to describe yesterday's performance by Six Organs of Admittance; the one man guitar/vocal project of Ben Chasny. Chasny has been at it for several years now playing his unique brand of singer-songwriter sorrow. Over time, he has developed his quasi-classical leanings into firm song structures, although the music is still fairly loose. Those expecting the verse-chorus-verse tendencies of the modern day singer-songwriter were probably surprised by how "all over the place it was." I'll say this: If you were there last night and you'd never heard Ben play, you probably either loved it or hated it.
Unfortunately for Chasny, the show was sparsely attended. Tuesday's are always difficult regardless of the act and even if your a fan, some forms of music just seem to lend themselves better to a live audience. I think there was some trepidation because Six Organs is a one-man show and this can put people off from attending. Regardless, Ben does what he does well. The last few songs he played seemed to reach deeper and resonate further. After a slow start, and some tuning issues he dug his heels into the ground and finished with a few real tender numbers. What struck me was how easily he could move between simple blues based pentatonic scales into fluid classical arpeggiated lines (guitar talk) and then into realms that defy description. Vocals were sparse as are with his recordings. The guitar is the central figurehead here, not the voice. The set was short, but considering the audience and the time it was appropriate. I'd like to say kudos to Ben. It's never easy to get up there alone and play the kind of music he plays. Like I said, you probably either loved it or hated it.
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