Inexorably Enamored: Lost in Reverie at Seattle's 2020 Cycle

It's amazing the transformative power that an incredible musical performance can have on all in attendance. For some of those who were a part of the crowd at the recent September 4 performance/tour kickoff at 20/20 Cycle in Seattle, WA's Central District the event was nothing short of magical, with each performance sweeping the listener off to some place of grand imagination in a way that only great storytelling can. Headlining the evening was Zoe Boekbinder of Oakland, CA with Seattle, WA performers Shenandoah Davis, Sweet Potatoes, and Alicia Amiri (featuring Graham Klym on drums) sharing the bill.

Alicia Amiri kicked off the evening with a collection of delightfully soulful blues songs tinged with the clever cynicism of a lone traveler at a campfire. Accompanied by Graham Klym's methodical and well-placed percussion the pair successfully created an inviting, warm atmosphere that surely set the pace of the evening.

Taking the tempo down a notch was Sweet Potatoes, the whimsical solo project of Jenny Asarnow, whose music stimulates memories of warm summer days spent swaying softly in a hammock, bathing in patches of sunlight through the trees. With layered vocals and percussion created right on stage combined with prerecorded sounds, Sweet Potatoes' performance seemed to wash over the audience like gentle waves crashing on a sandy shore.

When Zoe Boekbinder, on tour supporting her new album Artichoke Perfume, took to the stage the entire evening was transported to a whole new level as if by some sort of magical beanstalk. With songs that exhibited playful storytellings containing twists like the barbs of roses, one couldn't help but catch themselves leaning forward as if trying to catch a better glimpse of the stories unfolding in their mind. In spite of several minor difficulties encountered throughout her set, Boekbinder continued on with such admirable grace and even included the audience as she laughed her way past minor mistakes and false starts. Sharing so much more than simply songs, Zoe Boekbinder closed her set with a wonderful song-- dedicated to her apparently dear friend and inspiration Shenandoah Davis-- which was absolutely bursting with honesty, respect, and most importantly, love.

By no means the least of any of the acts of the evening, Shenandoah Davis graced the stage and without so much as a blink of an eye launched into an unbelievable set with luscious piano that seemed to dance with the sound of her voice as skillfully and elegantly as her fingers danced on the piano keys themselves. With a sound and energy that hearkens back to the sounds of parlors, saloons and dance halls of way-back-when, Davis is undoubtedly a talent worthy of the most prestigious of music halls. And, once the music stops, the feeling is like waking from a dream.
-Jamaal Jackson

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Shenandoah Davis: We; Camera

Seattle based singer/songwriter Shenandoah Davis is a true, quirky, vintage, and fascinating artist. After studying classical voice, jazz guitar, piano and harp during College, her frustration with the “tunnel vision” of academia, leads her to make her own composition. She recorded her first EP Our Favorite Idols in early 2008; quickly follow by her first album We; Camera, in the vein of Joanna Newsom, Karen Dalton and Regina Spektor. Inspired by classical, ragtime and klezmer piano, she composed dreamy and theatricals ballads. Further of her solo project, she regularly plays accordion for Jack Wilson & the Wife Stealers and Grand Hallway, and participate in a new Seattle band project called Hello, Broken Arrow. She also recently works with Clyde Petersen (Thao Nguyen, Laura Veirs) on her lovely, poetical stop-motion music video for the title album song We; Camera.

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Last Night: Shenandoah Davis at 2020

Saturday night's shindig was my first showgoing experience at 2020 Cycle, and I have nothing but good things to say about the space. 2020 Cycle is, as you may know, a bike shop by day, but they have shows on occasion, and I think the place serves well as a venue, with bikes on the walls and helmets hanging from the ceilings. It's the kind of cozy, intimate space where you can feel comfortable stashing your coat for the duration without worrying about it getting stolen. It also helps that most of the folks in the crowd know each other. This particular affair took place in celebration of Shenandoah Davis' adorable new music video for "we; camera", which you can watch here. The video was directed by Clyde Petersen, and Britta Johnson, who has also lent her skills to videos for artists such as Mirah, helped with the cute little fabric (at least I THINK it's fabric) birds.

Katharine Hepburn's Voice, aka KHV, opened— they're a catchy little synth-pop outfit of drums, bass, keyboard and quirky lyrics. I found them quite charming, and fun to dance to. But what was really astounding about the whole evening was how quiet the whole room became as soon as Shenandoah started playing. She sings like a bird, and her piano playing is like a sort of whimsical, melancholy saloon piano. Less jangle, more trill.
-Sara Brickner

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Our Favorite Idol: Shenandoah Davis

It begins as a plinking piano, almost too shy to carry on and is followed by a unique voice just on the verge of cracking, but hangs on the precipice - never quite falling off. The sound expands with new layerings of that voice, making it stronger, broadening the knife’s edge, and becoming a solid foundation when shored up by classical strings and further layerings of piano. Even with a solid footing, the music still teeters somewhere between folk, classical and ragtime.
-Kevin LeDoux

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Band of the Week

Shenandoah Davis moved to Seattle about a year ago, bringing her solo music project that blends together "classical piano, folk, klezmer, and ragtime." Now, fans of Joanna Newsom have a local act to love (although Davis doesn't play the harp). As her description promises, the song "We, Camera" involves vintage, plinking piano pulled straight from what you'd expect to hear booming from an early-1900s-era bar. The piano takes a more classic and dramatic turn in "Our Favorite Idols," boasting a sweeping, beautiful tone. The star of every song, though, is Davis's unique voice that is as hard to like as Newsom's. But after a few listens, it's easier to embrace its "always on the verge of breaking" tone, especially when paired with music just as peculiar.

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We; Camera (review)

Don’t let Shenandoah Davis’s simplistic arrangements deceive you. With a voice like an old timey fiddle, she adds on contrapuntal guitar, piano and xylophone parts to round out the subtle symphony. “These Rocks” sounds like something Feist would come up with, only better. “Now We All All” shows off the sheer power of conviction present in her vocals, matched only by the powerful bang with which she hits the final low piano key. “Take Ourselves Out” plays like a Parisian cobble stone street dance. “Well Well Well” has an air of Vaudeville about it, if Vaudeville took place under water. In fact, it’s here where the simplistic arrangements clear away like a pair of heavy velvet curtains to expose the true playful mastery of Davis’s compositions. This happens just in time for the quick, trotting piano and castanet arrangement of “Milagros.” “Skeletons” finishes it all off—a dark, lonely waltz that takes the album full circle, back to the simple basics of vocals and piano, as the heavy curtains close once again.
-Kim Ruehl

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We; Camera

I get so excited hearing music by people with so much classical training, seeing how they employ their background in their own music. And it shows through here in all the best ways, while retaining this remarkable originality. I am amazed at how something can sound at once so familiar and so marvelously unique.

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Parlour Music

Every once in awhile, you’ll listen to something by an artist you’re completely unfamiliar with and suddenly, your ears perk up and you begin to listen a bit more closely, a bit more intently. And then suddenly, you’re in love.

Meet Shenandoah Davis.

Ms. Davis is a young and exciting songwriter who currently hails from Seattle, a home to many a talented musician. But what makes Davis so unique is her truly distinct, vintage sound, her parloresque piano and her incredibly fascinating vocal instrument.

During her years in college, Davis focused her studies on classical voice, but became disenchanted at what she refers to as the ‘tunnel vision’ in the academic community. So after graduation, she began her to create her own compositions.

In July of last year, Davis’ released her full-length debut, We; Camera, an unforgettable 13-song experience. Possessing a style that lives somewhere within the blurry boundaries of neo-classicism, Davis’ music has been likened to that of harpist Joanna Newsom, although Davis’ key instrument is the piano. At times sparse and thankfully gloss-free, Davis’ songs feel as if they’ve lived in another century and fought their way back to the present day in order to tell their amazing stories.

On the album’s opening track, “Our Favorite Idols,” Davis’ warbling voice is layered to create the effect of an invisible singing sister while deep cello and piano reverberate through the peaks and valleys.

Vibraphone adds softness to “These Rocks,” another highlight and possibly the album’s most accessible track, while “Up & Over” brightly floats with a message of encouragement complete with hand claps and fluttering piano keys.

Other gems include the dramatic piano and crescendos heard in “Hobos And Bulls” and the title track, which I also found immediately infectious.

I can honestly say that my only complaint with Shenandoah Davis is that I’ve just now discovered her.

Buried away in this nesting ground
Excavating stones for the sun dial
Meanwhile I’m carried away in these sailing clouds
And it tears you up to know
I know
~ Shenandoah Davis

We; Camera was originally limited to a release of only 200 copies, each hand-pressed with recyclable materials. Since its release, Davis has released another pressing. And with the help of friend Clyde Peterson, she’s also recently completed a beautiful stop-motion video for the title track which can be found on YouTube.

Shenandoah Davis, who celebrated her birthday on Valentine’s Day, is currently touring to support We; Camera. For more on this wonderful artist and for a full listing of upcoming dates and venues be sure to check out her MySpace page.

In addition to recording her own music, Davis can also be heard contributing her instrumental talents to fellow Seattleites, Grand Hallway, where she plays accordion and the vibraphone.

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