Dead Can Dance (DCD) is coming to the City by the Bay, and Agnes Obel is on tour with them. DCD is an Australian group that first got together in Melbourne in 1981 before moving to London in 1982. Ian McFarlane, a music historian in Australia, called the group’s style:
". . . soundscapes of mesmerising grandeur and solemn beauty . . ."
The various influences the band has brought into its materials, including African polyrhythms and Gregorian chanting, give their performances a complex and unique richness. The lyrics are often sung in obscure languages and it appears the group sometimes uses glossolalia; the practice of making sounds that carry the emotion of the moment but are not actually a language.
A review says:
“Want to be transported to a place of pure peace and awe? You should probably go see Dead Can Dance. Words...insufficient....go.... experience the glory!”
Agnes Obel is a native of Copenhagen, Denmark, who has found self-expression through the piano and her vocals, which are closely linked. Her first album, 2010’s “Philharmonics,” was both a critical and commercial success. A reviewer noted:
“. . . Copenhagen-born, Berlin-based classically trained pianist and singer Agnes Obel is a master of her craft . . .”
Dead Can Dance, along with Agnes Obel, will be at The Masonic on May 5, at 8:00 pm. Poster printing is often used to publicize events like this.