Scottish Sellout: KT Tunstall

By Christian Lipski
Photos by Deborah Lipski

Aladdin Theater, Portland OR
May 5, 2011

Click for larger image.

Portland’s Aladdin Theater was completely full, with people standing along the walls, pushing the boundaries of its 620-person capacity. The area in front of the stage was filled with chairs, but it was clear from looking at the audience that there wasn’t going to be any moshing anyway. A curious weighting on the older side for some reason, though the show was 21 and over due to alcohol sales. It’s possible that the people who grew up with the acoustic guitar-based singer-songrwiters of the ’70s find KT Tunstall‘s music to be familiar territory.

When she arrived on stage, Tunstall noted that she would be performing solo, without her usual band, but joked that she had her “Taiwanese friends,” indicating her array of electronic equipment.

When not singing with only her guitar as accompaniment, Tunstall made use of a sequencer that allowed her to record musical parts on the spot and loop them in the background while she played live, much like Reggie Watts. Using the sound of her pick scraping the guitar strings as percussion, and singing backing vocals, Tunstall created the sound of a band before the crowd’s very eyes.

The singer herself was in full control, confidently stomping on sequencer pedals during her songs without missing a note. In her tank top, vest, and leather pants, Tunstall came across as an honest craftsman, interested only in the music she was performing. She recalled Bono’s younger days, when the music was all that mattered, and artificial imagery just got in the way.

Tunstall greeted the audience and complimented them on their city’s bike trails, which she rode on her folding travel bicycle.

“It was a wonderful day in Portland,” she exclaimed, before turning coy. “But isn’t it always, with no sales tax?”

Though not showing a trace of artifice, she was a natural showman, constantly talking between numbers and poking fun at herself. Before “Still A Weirdo,” she explained that the next song was “for anyone living with mental illness . . . Hello, everyone! I’m Kate!” Tunstall writes personal, semi-confessional songs, but on stage she lives to get the laugh.

“This song is for anyone who’s had a friend they had a crush on,” she said before “Stopping the Love.” “Maybe you’re with them right now! Well, now’s your chance while the lights are low; you can switch seats when the person on the other side goes to the bathroom!”

Playing the guitar slung from her neck, working the sequencer pedals with one foot, and kick drum-tambourine pedal with the other, Tunstall also gave the appearance of a one-man band from the 1920s. The effect was reinforced when she imitated a trumpet with her mouth. It was amazing that she was able to give such a dedicated performance with so much to think about.

The setlist was varied, the singer making sure not to string too many solo guitar songs together. She played with loops at times, and performed a stripped-down version of “Other Side of the World” with a keyboard rather than its usual guitar. Tunstall made note of the fact that this show would be the first to feature three songs on piano instead of two, which she thought was an appropriate use of “twelve years of lessons.”

To play songs from her new EP, Scarlet Tulip, Tunstall brought out a special guitar given to her by the Talisker distillery. Knowing that the singer was a fan of their single malt whisky, they created an acoustic guitar out of the wood from their barrels. Sober or not, the guitar performed admirably. Tunstall sang several tracks from the new EP, which consists of seven songs and is only available at shows or kttunstall.com.

Her voice moving from a whisper to a falsetto to a blues shout, Tunstall attacked each song as if she had just finished it. Even the seven-year-old “Black Horse and the Cherry Tree,” which she must have played a thousand times, seemed brand new and exciting to her. Playing a solo on kazoo and weaving in the White Stripes’ “Seven Nation Army,” she brought the crowd to their feet.

Tunstall pulled on another guitar, which she described as having “Nashville” or “high-strung” tuning, or the high strings from a 12-string guitar. The next song was “Alchemy,” also from Scarlet Tulip, featured the delicate side of the singer’s voice. At times, the controlled breaks in her vocals were reminiscent of The Cranberries’ Dolores O’Riordan.

Arriving at the end of the show, Tunstall thanked the crowd profusely as she had done throughout the performance.

“You live in a rad city,” she said, before playing “Fade Like A Shadow” and “Suddenly I See.”

Tunstall leaves America for Europe in June, but Scarlet Tulip is available on the singer’s website.

Popshifter photographer Deborah Lipski held the only photo pass allowed for the show.

Click on the thumbnails below to see each image.

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