As I made my way through the line at Théâtre Beanfield, I heard the groups of people filling the seats chatter with excitement. A hush fell over the crowd as Skullcrusher came on stage to start the night.
Helen Ballentine came timidly out onto the simple set consisting of a synth and a few guitars. Her quiet yet poignant voice soon filled the space where fans were introduced to a new song right off the bat. After enthusiastic applause, she introduced herself and continued on to a slowed-down, stripped arrangement of “It’s Like A Secret” off her most recent album, Quiet The Room. Whereas the record has a lot of elements, the live versions were somehow even more intimate, with only guitar loopings and subtle synth manipulation. Her delicate voice, mixed with the romantic instrumentals, was the perfect way to start the night.
After a brief intermission, the lights went down again and a small gasp emerged from the crowd. Ichiko Aoba emerged smiling to loud applause, uttering simply, “Bonsoir!”. Then she went to work. Delicate fingerpicking supporting a haunting voice; everyone there was silent, listening with their whole bodies. The fluidity with which she strummed her simple acoustic guitar was astounding. Phones everywhere came out to record her wildly popular “Asleep Among Endives.” Despite the language barrier, Ichiko was playful with the crowd- tip-tapping her fingers along the neck of her guitar, whistling, and joking around with her travel mug.
She didn’t let the night end without a few surprises. These included a period of 15 minutes of consistent playing, for which she received thundering applause and a special guest for her encore. None other than Pomme, the French singer/songwriter, came out to sing “Always With Me.”
Ichiko ended the night as she began it, beaming and appreciative. She thanked the fans repeatedly and skipped back behind the curtain with gifts in hand. One thing is for sure: the double standing ovation that followed her out was rightfully earned.
Review – TJ Castrataro
Photos – Daphne Miller
