Regina Spektor, Austin City Limits Music Festival

Regina Spektor did a set this afternoon at the live web cast of the Austin City Limits Music Festival. The performance was part of a three-day event, which today included Willy Mason, The National, Robert Earl Keen, DeVotchKa, Lucinda Williams, Ben Kweller, Nicole Atkins & The Sea, Ghostland Observatory, Bloc Party, and The Arcade Fire. Spektor was preceded by Grammy winning country-rocker Lucinda Williams who, despite some long pauses between songs, played to an enthusiastic audience. But Spektor's late afternoon set in beautiful 80 degree weather was, in a word, great. In a few more words, it was, as Barenaked Ladies say in "One Week," like Snickers, guaranteed to satisfy. The set was everything I hoped it would be. Spektor is as mesmerizing to watch as she is to listen to. It must also be said that she is one of those artists that you either love or scratch your head over thinking 'what on earth is this woman doing?' I'm a member of the first camp. Spektor can go from meek to wild to other-worldy in the trill of her voice. She can tease the audience with her lyrics or with a coy look, and she seems to be truly having a good time.
I first came across Regina Spektor's music via Hype Machine (if you don't know what that is, check the Hype Machine link in the right column). Her name kept popping up on blogs, so I had to check her out. The very first song I heard was not "Fidelity," or "Us," or even "Samson," from her 2002 Songs album, which is arguably the song by which she is most identified. No, the first song I heard was the quirky and compelling "Music Box," which was part of a five-song bonus disc distributed with Begin To Hope. I heard the song and played it again. And again. And again. I was totally taken by the voice and the lyrics, which included this great passage:

And then I fill the sink to the top with bubbles of soap
And then I set all the bottle caps I own afloat
And it's the greatest voyage in the history of plastic

Those lines, with their own bit of zen sense just got stuck in my head, and I was hooked. From there I had to check out her whole catalog, and the rest, as they say, is history (for me anyway).
So, when I say her live show was everything I hoped, I mean that all she needs is her unique voice and a piano or guitar (or on "Ain't No Cover," just the microphone, on which she taps the rhythm as she sings) to create magic. The audience clearly loves her and she really seemed to be enjoying herself, giggling and smiling throughout a great song set that included "Ain't No Cover," "Bobbing for Apples." "That Time," "Summer in the City," "Apres Moi," "Us," "Fidelity," and a cover version of John Lennon's "Real Love." She ended strong with "Samson," which seemed to have just about everyone in the crowd--male and female--singing along. And then, like all good things, it was over far too soon. The Austin City Limits Music Festival is tightly scheduled, with each artist getting just an hour to perform, but this crowd clearly wanted more. I did too, but I guess that will have to wait until the day I get to attend a Regina Spektor show in person.