A Fine Frenzy at Fine Line Music Café on 1/28/08

By: Amber Schadewald

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Alison Sudol (aka A Fine Frenzy) - Photo by Melinda Dahl

Courteously packed into the small space, the attentive crowd shushed one another as Alison Sudol, a.k.a. A Fine Frenzy, took a deep breath and closed her eyes. The room was literally silent. An audible signifier of the appreciation the crowd felt for this young artist, the silence gave way to pure emotions mustering almost collectively between strangers and friends. More delicately than any other song that evening, her fingers began tapping out the familiar intro to her adored single, “Almost Lover.” She nearly whispered the words, singing it as though it was the first time she had granted another being a glimpse into her aching soul. The moment alone was nearly as beautiful as the song itself.

From the first moment she walked on stage, Sudol had everyone’s heartstrings tied around her finger. Sweet to the last morsel, her young, honest spirit was laid out under the lights, between dear melodies and winning lyrics. A string of white Christmas lights was strung across the front of her keyboard and her hair (now a great deal shorter than her album cover suggests) burned red atop her playful expressions. Two men accompanied her, one on keys and bass, the other guitar and drums. I for one had a hard time watching anyone but her.

The entire show was super relaxed. Ali, as she prefers to be called, even took off her boots, saying she couldn’t feel the petal of her piano. “Music before fashion,” she giggled.

Her first time headlining a major show, she was a bit squirmy and undeniably giddy. Besides the continuous smiling, dancing and quirky comments, her excitement got in the way of her performance, including one extended note she stopped singing, giggling before finishing the song. My mom, who came as my guest, thought it was adorable; I on the other hand, thought she should pull it together.

My only other complaint was the lack of clear pronunciation, yet it’s hard to gripe when her velvet voice is ringing in your ears. There were also a few notable moments when she really let loose, singing hard and harsh, most notably in the song, “Ashes and Wine,” when she sounded a bit like an angry eagle— it was awesome. I continually waited throughout the set for something more like it, but she tends to sing more on the windy side.

After the show my mom and I met her upstairs and were lucky enough to get a poster signed. Calm and collected, yet perfectly friendly and spunky, she’s a really cool person… in person. My mom more than approved.

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Location Info: Fine Line Music Café
Artist Info: A Fine Frenzy

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