St Vincent: Down and Out Downtown live stream concert

To get the fans ready for the festival season and to celebrate, with some delay, the release of her sixth studio album, Daddy’s Home, on 13^th July, St Vincent (Annie Erin Clark) announced a livestream concert event called Down and Out Downtown. The show, which took place at the Los Angeles Theatre, featured the live debut of songs from her new album, plus new arrangements from songs across her discography. Directed by Bill Benz, the set streamed on 4^th and 5^th August on the platform Moment House. 

Appearing in all her decadent glory, Clark opens with Pay Your Way in Pain, the first song off her recent album. Wearing a see-through nightgown under a beige trench coat (reminiscent of the best Cassavetes films), ripped tights and her signature blonde wig, she is magnetic as ever. Next is The Melting of the Sun, embellished by psychedelic suns and daisies dancing on the screen. In-between songs, Clark delights viewers with funny, slightly awkward interludes. The Daddy’s Home era didn’t start long ago, and yet she is already completely immersed in the character and its sepia world, which she describes as “glamour which hasn’t slept for three days”.

After Down and Out Downtown comes Los Ageless, one of the most iconic songs from the singer’s previous album, Masseduction. If “the glamour which hasn’t slept for three days” works exquisitely well with the new songs, the same cannot be said for the Masseduction songs, which Clark used to play dressed in pink latex bodysuits. The contrast between the two universes only works with the slow, sad ballads like Slow Disco and New York. On these, every detail – lighting, effects, choreography, even facial expressions – is perfectly rehearsed and Annie plays the role of the party host almost too well. 

With the last song …At the Holiday Party, the audience is suddenly being propelled into a party in 60s New York. There is a woman sitting in the stalls. We cannot see her face, but her coat and blonde bob are incredibly similar to St Vincent’s. “You can’t hide from me,” the song says. “You can’t hide from me,” Clark repeats, until the lights go off – very St Vincent conclusion. 

At “The Afterparty”, Clark sips tequila from a fancy glass. Displaying her flirtatious, slightly shy smile, she takes “requests” and plays some old gems. She answers a few questions from fans, graciously skipping over some of the existential ones, wanting to “keep it light”. She laughs and shares a lot, surrounded by her guitars: simply St. Vincent at her best. 

Diletta Lobuono

For further information and future events visit St Vincent’s website here.

Watch a trailer for the livestreamed concert here: