I Was Born With a Broken Heart

Who: David Wax Museum
When: February 28, 2012
Where: Ninth Ward/ Buffalo, NY 
With: Katie
Of Note: Happy Birthday to Me! 

Neil sent me an email at the beginning of February that said, "This is the birthday show," and told me that a band he liked was in the BUF on my actual birthday, if I didn't have any plans.  Since I had multiple parties before and a trip to Europe after my actual day of birth, I thought this was a great plan for that night.  Since it was at a new favorite intimate venue, Ninth Ward, and it was only $12 (roughly?), Katie consented to join me.  Other than a quick Google search that told me the band had won several folk and Americana awards in New England, I knew absolutely nothing going in.  

The band's three members - David Wax, Suz Slezak, and Gilbert Glassman - took the stage and dove right in.  All three members were multi-instrumentalists, playing everything from guitars to mini guitars to fiddle to a donkey jawbone to one of those cool percussion boxes that you sit on.  Plus, they all sang.  That, in itself was impressive.

The set started with a song called, I think, 'Lavender Road'; it was really beautiful.  The refrain kept asking the question, "What would it take to fall in love again?"  It was so wistful and I really felt like we should all figure out how to fall in love again.  (It is after repeated listening to the album that I realize I've juxtaposed two songs together into one memory, here.)

Usually when I see shows, what resonates most with me is a big sound, up-tempo numbers, dance-ability.  What was so awesome about this show was how they made the smallest moments so big - it was the thoughtful rests, the quiet harmonies, the sound of two voices over a single violin that, though small in sound, were huge in impact.  

In contrast, at other times, it was amazing how huge their sound was, given that there were only three of them.  The song 'Leopard Girl' seemed enormous, just a huge wall of music and some fun, cheeky lyrics about how you shouldn't trust a girl who keeps her eyes open when she kisses.  

The band, particularly David and Suz, was funny and well-spoken, peppering the set with stories from the road, jokes, explanations of their non-traditional instruments.  Towards the beginning of the set, David asked if anyone had ever put on long underwear with the anticipation that it was going to be cold and then not needed them. Without missing a beat, Suz said, "Go take them off."  And, off he went. It was pretty funny.  

Suz also talked about how Buffalo was the first place she'd ever seen a donkey jawbone (one of her instruments) in a shop window while walking down the street.  Go Buffalo?

Another song that really resonated was 'Jalopy Heart' - the questioning insecurity of why someone would pick you, love you, choose you.  So, so beautiful.  I was highly entertained by the song 'Jenny Junebug', because I'm a narcissist and love songs with my name in them (despite the whole unwed pregnancy thing). 'Yes, Maria, Yes' had a pretty epic crowd sing along portion.   

During one of the songs, the band walked around the room, taking up residence in corners, sitting on people's laps, etc. - David actually walked out the door at one point.  Suz walked up to me and asked to use my bar stool so she could climb up on the bar and play from there.  Katie said it was the only show she'd ever been to where she had been kicked by the fiddle player.  

I bought a CD after the show and all the band members signed it (because this is what I do now?) and they were all super nice and very gracious.  For days afterwards (including the full two and a half hour train ride from London to Paris) I could not stop listening to 'Born with a Broken Heart'.  Though this type of music has not traditionally been on on my radar, this was a fantastic show and an amazing way to spend my birthday that shall not be named.