Concert Review: Kate Vargas Sings Tall Tales At Triad NYC
Kate Vargas was made to tell tall tales. By their very nature, “tall tales” are meant to make human nature feel supernatural: for better or worse. They teeter the line between enchanting and frightening, which, in essence, is human nature. Thus, it takes a voice that understands a song is a story to transform lyrics into narrative details, of which Kate Vargas did exactly that at Triad Theatre.
In the dark, moody lighting of this small theatre, the ambiance was set and its inherent cabaret feel helped Vargas build the theatricality of her folk sound. Not many realize that, in a way, folk music is a theater piece. Between hook and melody, a character is born, a life is lived, and a lesson is learned. In this way, Vargas’ tracks are broken/ composed, of which her songs, as in new album For The Wolfish And Wandering, came off like the torn pages of one of the Grimm brothers’ diaries. Her capacity to build the tragedy of fantasy comes from her experience as a woman/ rising songwriter reaching for her higher dreams while experiencing human lows. On that alone, she is strikingly relatable.
As a performer, Vargas speaks and sings with a compassionate warmth that proves something not said enough about Americana songwriters; they are really smart. It takes wit, strength, and patience to put your observances of the world unto paper, and they take paper and turn it into a world of song. Thus, Vargas was easily forthcoming and friendly in showing what makes her inspire to inspire, which made her standout amongst a series of extremely talented singer-songwriters that shared the stage as well like, the wonderful Andrea Wittgens. The importance of standing out should not be underestimated.
Maybe, it is that the year is ending, but I have a realized a few things in 2018, and it is that a concert/ performance presence is now VITAL to a career. You HAVE to be different amongst even the different, which Vargas is, especially in her voice. I swear if someone said, “You knowshe smokes her vocals over a grill with some BBQ honey,” I would say, “I could see that.” The way she annotates her verses and melodies, makes her chords, from guitar to vocal, feel elemental like, she is from the sky and fields of America’s greenest pastures. Thus, she was able be picturesque amongst a group of artists that are all personalities, as well, which is the key to memorability. For More Information on Kate Vargas Click Here.
