MUSIC

Neo-folk rising star Sam Amidon has won massive critical acclaim and a (so far) rabid cult following in the indie world for his ability to re-invent traditional songs and R. Kelly covers alike on guitar, banjo and fiddle and deliver them with eerily deadpan vocals that both charm and unsettle. Here he presents his intuitive and often radical reworkings of secular ballads, gospel, folk songs, and hymns with interludes of storytelling, field recordings, video, and hand-drawn cartoons. Amidon gives voice to the love, hardship, and heartache in these age-old songs while interjecting his own open, improvisatory impulses in narrative and song structure. This multi-media performance draws from Amidon’s extraordinary recent album I See The Sign, which was arranged by Nico Muhly.