Andrew Bird 2007
November 30, 2007 at Beacon Theatre
Chicago-based multi-instrumentalist and lyricist Andrew Bird picked up his first violin at the age of 4 and spent his formative years soaking up classical repertoire completely by ear. Though classically trained, he has instead opted to play his violin in a most unconventional manner, accompanying himself, adding singing and whistling to the equation, and becoming a pop songwriter in the process. Armed with a violin, an electric guitar, a glockenspiel, and a sampler, Bird's shows achieve a rare mixture of both spontaneity and precision, and his unnatural whistling ability has set him apart as a truly unique artist.
Since beginning his recording career, Andrew Bird has released nine albums: six studio albums, both solo and with his former group the Bowl of Fire, and three live albums. Andrew Bird's 2005 studio album, The Mysterious Production of Eggs, was a breakthrough for him both commercially and artistically, with exuberant praise from a wide variety of sources, and a dramatic increase in attendance at his unique live performances. 2007's Armchair Apocrypha brings the tally to ten. It is an album that sums up where Andrew's career has taken him, yet is very much of his artistic present.
