REVIEW: Three Metroland Staffers Discuss Julia Alsarraf’s Moving Album Release Show
01/27 @ Caffè Lena, Saratoga Springs
“Where else are you going to find keening, mouth trumpets, and despair punk all in one place?”
When three Metroland writers end up in the same place, it’s only fair to have them each contribute to the post-mortem. After all, art is subjective and everyone has their own perspectives. So when Rory Graham, James Mullen and TJ Foster all found themselves at Caffè Lena on Tuesday night to hear Julia Alsarraf play her new record, In Fidelity, in full, they were never going to draw straws to see who gets to talk about it. Instead, they took some of the venue’s delicious chocolate chip cookies to go, and filled out the same “exit survey”. Let’s get into it.
Give a brief, one paragraph review of the night.
[TJ Foster]: Julia had everybody in awe as she not only played through her new album, In Fidelity, but also a selection of non-album tunes spanning her catalog as a solo artist. I found myself organically smiling throughout most of the set, witnessing a contemporary who has not only mastered her songwriting and performance chops, but her stage presence as well. The entire two-set show was powerful, inspiring, and surprisingly hilarious at times. More than worth the price of admission.
[Rory Graham]: In the past when I’ve seen Julia, it’s been providing backing vocals and bass guitar, so to witness what she can do solo was an eye-opening, exciting adventure. I brought a friend to the show who had been wanting to make his first trip to Lena for a while, so getting to experience both Julia’s music and the Caffè setting through a fresh set of eyes made the experience that much better. I spent a lot of time marveling at how she plays with silence in her songs. She mentioned once or twice that we might need the intermission to digest some of the lyrical content, but I think she builds those moments for reflection in many of her pieces, asking the listener to pause for a few seconds to make sure they’re really hearing her. It’s needed! So many of her new tracks told stories so dense in only a matter of minutes that they’re well worth a re-listen. Not to mention, her voice was just incredible. I mean, where else are you going to find keening, mouth trumpets, and despair punk all in one place?
[James Mullen]: It was also my first time seeing Julia perform as a solo artist, and I agree that it was an awesome experience! Her ability to remain authentically herself onstage had me sucked in from the start, and there was a heightened sense of intimacy permeating the space throughout the set. The vibes were instantly charming and comfortable even with subject matter that was spread out across the emotional spectrum, and that led to a raw and rewarding experience that made this an incredible album release show.
Favorite musical moment?
[TF]: During album standout “Holy,” Julia had us all close our eyes for the entirety of the song, dimming the stage lights as well. The song itself is haunting — lyrically, melodically, plus a touch of keening — and that just made it all the more special.
[RG]: As the set progressed towards playing songs from the new album, Julia joked a bit that she was procrastinating the tougher material, so I was on the edge of my seat by the time we got to “Next Time.” It lived up to the anticipation, telling a story so vivid and personal that I can completely understand her nerves behind playing it. Not to mention, it was the first time the electric guitar got pulled out, so it was a fun change of pace.
[JM]: When Julia launched into the first verse of “Hurts”, I was really blown away by how seamlessly she transitioned into a rap-like spoken word delivery that cut across the music like a knife. Then that chorus also hit like a soulful jackhammer; it’s still stuck in my head.
Favorite comedic moment?
[TF]: Julia’s comedic chops were on full display in between songs, which was a great dichotomy with the heavier subject matter of some of the music. I personally loved her stories about her late father, particularly the one where she discovered posthumously that he had a match.com account. I almost did a spit take.
[RG]: There was a lot of dark comedy throughout the night, but what truly won it for me was Julia quite literally riffing with herself about having her “soon-to-be ex-wife” in the audience at the show. She made sure that the irony that she was playing an album about heartbreak was not lost on anyone. And, truly, it was awesome to see that they’re still cool. #friendship
[JM]: I have to agree with that, Rory. I especially enjoyed the thumbs-up confirmation from her that the divorce was indeed amicable and they remain besties! A hilariously happy ending.
Favorite mouth instrument?
[TF]: Odd question, but yes, Julia played enough “mouth instruments” to warrant it. Have you ever heard a mouth theremin? Me either. That one takes top prize for me.
[RG]: Her mouth trumpet was well done, but her mouth theremin? I had to Google what a theremin even looks like. Where does she come up with this stuff?
[JM]: It’s hard to argue with the mouth theremin. I really have such a great respect for being comfortable enough to do these as part of a song, and I love a good mouth trumpet too (how many of us have blared the trumpet solo in “Uncle Albert” by Linda & Paul McCartney? Just me?!). I think I’ll go with the mouth trumpet just to be the dissenting vote.
Favorite bit of crowd interaction?
[TF]: Like all Caffe Lena shows, there was a livestream, and Julia’s mom was tuning in. Remembering this piece of information after kicking off her album playthrough, Julia apologized directly to her mother for the content of In Fidelity’s first song, “Next Time,” which is a bit… ‘risque’. It was a delightful bit of interaction that had the crowd laughing pretty hard.
[RG]: Julia’s shoutout to the members of her church, Unity, that came out to support her was heartwarming. Though they were in the upper age range of the overall audience, they were clearly so thrilled to be there and so proud of Julia. Though she joked they might not want her doing music on Sundays anymore after the content of the show, it was clear that they have a real love and respect for her.
[JM]: I was really a huge fan of reading comments from the audience via post-it notes left at each table. I’m a sucker for those little bits of unique personality an artist puts into their presentation, and I loved the way this broke the fourth wall to get everyone involved.
Lots of feelings were felt. Julia described these songs as raw, unhinged, raunchy and heartbreaking. What was the overarching feeling you left with?
[TF]: Honestly, just really really inspired. I know Julia. I even play music with her sometimes. But every time I see her perform solo, I’m just awestruck. Hearing an entire set of her music left me itching to lock myself in a room and write some songs. Unfortunately for me, I had an almost hour-long drive home and by the time I arrived I just crawled into bed instead. But there’s always tomorrow!
[RG]: God, where do I start? First of all, I left feeling much calmer, with a bit of my soul refilled and recharged. In the midst of a really shitty month, Julia provided me with two hours of art that had me transfixed, without my anxious brain wandering to the next task on my list or next worry. Not to sound like a dork, but it really did make me reflect on my own life, lately — where can I find more space to create art, rather than just consume and respond to it?
[JM]: I agree with what TJ said about feeling inspired. I had mentioned to him after the show while we were waiting around to say our goodbyes that seeing a show with such a talented songwriter might fill some people with imposter syndrome (something many of us struggle with) —, it always sets my soul on fire and makes me want to go home and pick up the guitar. Art like that is contagious, and I think that it’s so cathartic to feel that level of energy be transferred from a performance.