Abigail Washburn and Hanggai
@The One, 9 July 2010
By Maia, 2010年 7月 15日
After having to ford the flooded streets of this tucked away doppleganger art district named, can you believe it, 718, I showed up completely drenched and felt even more out of place than I would have otherwise. While I had heard that this venue is suitable for a more “mature” crowd, I had no idea that 60 year olds would be glued to their polished chairs, ordering rolls of sushi throughout the show.
I made the effort to go because of Abigail Washburn’s reputation as an exceptionally talented banjoist who often plays old-time American traditionals. While Friday night did showcase a few moments of Washburn’s abilities as a serious musician, as well as her very appealing naturalness and collaborative spirit on stage, I was disappointed by the overwhelming number of poppier tracks. I would have been happier seeing her play with one or two other musicians rather than over 10 others, all crammed on stage.
I’ve been disenchanted by Hanggai’s live shows for a while now, and Friday night was in keeping with their tasteless commercial renditions of traditional Mongolian turned mainstream rock songs. Whenever I happen to see Hanggai, I always hold out a glimmer of hope that they will revert back to their circa Introducing Hanggai folk songs.
I hate to use the phrase “selling out”；yet sometimes it’s better to keep it simple, and stay true to the original spirit of these both Mongolian and American traditional tunes, rather than trying to spruce them up for the modern set.
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