Andrew Bird at the Tractor Tavern

Holy Smokes! I’ve been a fan of Andrew Bird for a few years now and have become a bigger fan with each release he’s come out with. His last full album just came out about 2 months ago and I think it’s his best yet; and now he’s on tour to promote it. I’ve never been able to make it to a show when he’s come, but I caught him last night at the Tractor Tavern and was blown away. He’ll start a song off with a little picking on his violin. Loop it on his Line 6 petal. Layer a little padding and melody over it. Then grab the guitar and sing n’ play over that. Maybe whistle a little line while playing a melody in unison on his glockenspiel. His drummer might be playing one handed while controlling a sample on the laptop or playing something on his MIDI controller. What really stood out was his whistling. You can’t tell through his records just how good he is at it. But see for yourself (Real Player). That performance gives you an idea…