By: Andrea Myers
The Varsity Theater appeared even more lavish than usual at the CD release party for Jenny Dalton’s debut album, Fleur de Lily. In addition to the par-for-course cabaret tables and dim, romantic lighting, large platforms had been added to the back of the room to provide elevated seating to those furthest from the stage, and even larger, fancier vinyl concert advertisements were draped on the walls surrounding the entrance to the main room. The Theater seems to get swankier every time I walk in the door, and it’s no wonder why more and more musicians are favoring the venue.
“It’s my favorite venue by far,” Dalton told me in a recent interview. “It’s so cozy and it has a really good sound system, and the light system is amazing. It makes me feel like a rock star.”
Dalton’s disc is a delicate mix of moody, curvy piano tunes, and each of the songs seemed to spring to life as she performed them live. Taking center stage with her electric keyboard, she was backed by a group of live musicians that included drummer Dan Greenwood and bassist Matthew Freed (both of Cloud Cult), as well as Peter Aslanidis on guitar. Things were a little rough between the musicians toward the beginning of the set (Dalton often plays by herself; this was only the second time the ensemble had played together live), but after a few songs the group seemed to fall into a groove.
There are many things that set Dalton apart from other female pianists and songwriters. To my surprise, Dalton chose to play her own keyboard over the Varsity’s huge grand piano, which was shoved off to the side of the room for the evening. Also, unlike most piano players she stood for her entire set, facing directly forward and gazing out into the sizable audience as she sang. Though it would be easy to draw comparisons between Dalton and other musicians with a similar sound (Tori Amos, Kate Bush), she has managed to craft a distinct sound that combines ethereal vocals, eerie piano amblings and a surprisingly heavy rhythm section.
Dalton’s set included all of the tracks off Fleur de Lily, many of which deal with the emotional roller coaster of watching her boyfriend’s deployment to Iraq. In a joyous moment, she announced that her boyfriend had been honorably discharged from the National Guard earlier that day and was officially done serving, which was met with wild cheers from the audience. Other highlights of the night included “Deep Dark Secrets,” a sprawling ballad that unfolded into somewhat of an electronic symphony, and “At Ease,” arguably one of the best tracks on the album that the audience seemed to really enjoy.
After much applause Dalton returned to proclaim sheepishly, “This is my first encore,” which was followed by a solo version of an older unrecorded song, “Jackie Hydes the Muse.”
Set list:
Iraqi Sky
Lily and the Stranger
Circles
Violet Walk
Three Lilies
Bad Day
Deep Dark Secrets
This Again
At Ease
Cadence
Joshua
My Shape
Snake Oil
Encore:
Jackie Hydes the Muse
Photo by David de Young.
Location Info:
The Varsity Theater
Artist Info: Jenny Dalton
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