Celebrate Brooklyn!

Last evening I traversed the city to Brooklyn (via subway train which took like an hour and caused lots of sweatiness) to meet Andrew in Prospect Park for a free concert. Free concerts in the park(s) are highly popular, mostly because they’re free, but also because they’re entertaining. I expected not to have very good seats, because my confusion as to where the hell I was going caused me to get there only half an hour before the opening act started. And while the view from the chairs we snagged was pretty uninterrupted and fairly close, the seats themselves were far from “good.” Metal folding chairs are not the optimal places to rest yr bum for … however long Andrew and I were sitting there.

The main performers were Kronos Quartet, a string-playing foursome (two violins, a viola and a cello), and even though you probably think you haven’t heard of them, I’m sure you’ve probably at least heard them at some point (especially if you’ve seen Requiem for a Dream or The Fountain).

Having loved the Requiem for a Dream music, I knew what kind of music they played, and I was looking forward to seeing them. Especially after reading in “Time Out New York” that they play covers of Sigur Ros songs. But I think I was completely unprepared for just how amazing it was going to be. Alternating between acutely intense—like when they played music from their 9/11 anniversary concert—and sweetly romantic, between classic and modern, Kronos Quartet put on a highly impressive show. I wasn’t even disappointed that they hadn’t played the Requiem music by the time they left the stage, but when the encore rolled around and that’s what they played, I was more than glad to soak it in. I’ve never heard any of their CD releases, but you can guarantee that I am tracking them down as we speak… or as I type this… anyway, after this long tirade, here’s a video of Kronos Quartet from Prospect Park last night. It’s 8 minutes, but it’s spectacular. Enjoy!

Posted: July 17th, 2009 under music.
Tags: Andrew, concerts, Kronos Quartet, prospect park

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