Fiona Apple
The Fillmore
Sept. 26, 2012
It’s always profoundly sad to watch a troubled artist melt down onstage. We’ve seen it with Scott Weiland, Courtney Love and Axl Rose, and we saw it Wednesday night when Fiona Apple’s performance at the Fillmore in Charlotte turned into a train wreck of tragic and frustrating proportions. It’s not the first time Apple has gone off the rails on stage. Even at her most lucid, she’s an eccentric — and that eccentricity is part of the reason we love her and her music.
But when Apple appeared in the spotlight just after 9 p.m., more gaunt than ever, her face pasty and hair a dull reddish-brown, things went awry from the get-go. She warbled her words, couldn’t reach the high notes, couldn’t stay on the beat. She squirmed at her piano seat during the once-majestic and nuanced “Shadowboxer,” the third song of the night, as her voice totally blew out on the vulnerable line, “You have no reverence for my concern.”
The audience ate it up. People sang to all the words. They helped pick her up when she was clearly so very down.
Apple tried to explain her erratic performance at one point. “I’ve been really fucked up all night,” she said, messing with her hair. Then she launched into a rant about how “the press” doesn’t give enough attention to men like Bill Addington, whose name she had scrawled on her white shirt. Who is Bill Addington? He’s a guy from Sierra Blanca, Texas, who’s apparently involved in a fight against the dumping of radioactive waste. How does she know him? Who knows? But Sierra Blanca is the town where Apple was arrested last week on charges of possessing pot and hash. Why was she ranting about the injustice of Bill Addington not getting enough press from… um, music journalists, I guess? That was unclear.
At another point, Apple castigated the Fillmore for the TV monitors that line the walls. During the song “Daredevil,” a highlight of her latest album, she changed the words “I may need a chaperone” to “I may need to never fucking play here again.”
One of the ironies of Apple’s messy performances is that she is one of the more persnickety artists in the studio. Each of her releases — from her earliest post-Tidal album, the long-named When the Pawn Hits the Conflicts… , in 1999, to this year’s extraordinary The Idler Wheel Is Wiser — is marked by rich, musically precise yet emotionally raw and passionate performances. She’s taken long sabbaticals between projects and the results every time have been worth the wait. Her arrangements, her vocal parts, her lyrics and melodies all come from a musical mind that is as technically proficient as it is poetic.
And a mind that is as troubled as her musical genius forebears from Billie Holiday to Brian Wilson. Before launching into an angry and passionate — and very wobbly — “Get Gone,” Apple looked out over her microphone, her eyes bulging and then glazing over into fluttering blinks, like a cross between early Patti Smith and Holiday at her most unhealthy. “Stop it, I gotta get pissed,” Apple spat. It gave her the juice she needed to blow into lines like “so put away that meat that you’re selling” and “It’s time the truth was out that he don’t give a shit about me” with all the hurt and rage of someone who could probably use more time with a loving friend than on the road in strange towns with audiences full of people who don’t really give a shit about her, even if they love the artist.
About three-quarters into her hour-and-a-half show, Apple seemed to pick up some momentum. She steadied up; her voice was marginally less shredded on a handful of songs, including “Daredevil” and “Every Single Night,” also from the new album, and “Not About Love,” from her 2005 album Extraordinary Machine — though not by much. And her banter became slightly more lucid. Frustratingly, Apple’s best performance of the night came in the last song: a cover of Conway Twitty’s “It’s Only Make Believe.”
Then she was gone.
In short: It was sad, it was depressing, and it reminded me why I hate a music industry that continues to put artists on the road who need to be helped, not exploited.
Setlist
Fast as You Can
On the Bound
Shadowboxer
Paper Bag
Anything We Want
Get Gone
Periphery
Sleep to Dream
Extraordinary Machine
Werewolf
Left Alone
I Know
Tymps (The Sick in the Head Song)
Every Single Night
Daredevil
Not About Love
It’s Only Make Believe (Conway Twitty cover)
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This article appears in Sep 26 – Oct 2, 2012.
What strikes me is that she appears to be playing without in ear monitors, which would definitely screw up a performance as she wouldn’t be able to hear herself.
She stopped using the ear monitors…she only used them during her first short leg of concerts in March. She is an incredible performer warts and all. I have a feeling this will be it for her after this tour she will probably never tour again. What a special treat it has been to see her live, she is absolutely one of a kind.
I agree this is her last tour and that’s why she’s doing so many tour dates – so she won’t ever have to tour again. But re the in ear monitors: she used them in Houston.
If Fiona didn’t want to tour, she wouldn’t. She likes touring. She’s said that many times. However, I do think she’ll take another long ass break after this. This may be her last album. Who knows. And I’m tired of people trying to play doctor with her. Yeah she looks sick. But she suffers from food allergies, eating disorders, and insomnia. She’s very open about herself.
Fiona is a beautiful person. Her music got me through some incredibly difficult times. As fans we can show our appreciation by simply supporting her in a positive way. We can’t treat or diagnose her. She’s a brave artist and her show last night was gritty, raw, and honest. She admitted she felt fucked up and her performance, in my opinion, represented how she was feeling. She didn’t sugarcoat anything. Let’s appreciate her performing for us and the several times she let her fans know she loved them. Thank you, Fiona.
I am so glad you have written the truth. We watched in horror from the minute she hit the stage. We were up front and chose to go to the back. We couldn’t watch the sad demise of a shell of a woman. We were depressed and angered the entire time watching people cheer her on. She needs help,not cheers and dollars. I only wish her the best and truly hope someone who loves her stops the tour and shows her to some help before she becomes yet another lost talent.
Well too bad for you little baby. I was one of those pissing you off for cheering her on. This show was everthing I dreamed it would be. I mean, It’s Fiona apple. What the fuck did you expect?? Happy sunshines and encores?? What were you doing at this show anyway? Clearly you were expecting someone else to walk out on the stage. You should have given your tickets to a real fan…one who doesn’t expect her to hide who she is so you can feel better about yourself. Taylor Swift is more your speed. Now get gone!
I do not agree with the reviewer. I thought she sounded great and was on point for 99% of the songs. Sure she was erratic and emotional. What did you expect? Have you actually read any of her lyrics? You refer to them in your review. All of her lyrics give the same honest presentation that she gave us…a passionate, sensitive, erratic, brilliant artist. It didn’t interfere with her giving a quality performance to her fans. This was my first Fiona show and I was actually blown away. As was everyone around me. Your description is so far off base. Just because you are a critic doesn’t mean that you have to be critical and negative. Well maybe…that is in the job description.
For the record: Yes, I am familiar with Fiona Apple’s lyrics and have seen her perform a number of times through the years. I was at the taping of her “Sessions at West 54th” performance in NYC in 1997, just after Tidal’s release, and I have seen some of her club dates since. And of course I am familiar with her eccentricities. I clearly stated in this review that those eccentricities are what make Fiona Fiona. And I do think she is an extraordinary talent and said as much in the review. Of the performances I’ve seen, some have been better than others — this was the weakest. And the reason it was the weakest, in my opinion, is because she appeared to be more unhealthy than I’ve ever seen her before.
As for this comment from savefionafromdouchebags — “What the fuck did you expect?? Happy sunshines and encores??” — no one has said Fiona Apple should be singing happy sunshines. Clearly, that’s not what she’s about. And clearly that’s not what the previous commenter, Helpfionabeforeitstoolate, suggested. But it would be remiss for me or any other music critic or fan to just be “positive” about a performance, no matter what we see or hear. Sometimes what I see at a show is disturbing, and when that happens, I’m going to report it. When an artist appears unhealthy and puts on a bad show, I’m not going to ignore it. If it looks to me as though a record company has sent an artist on the road who is unhealthy, I’m going to say it.
However, if you go to a show specifically to SEE a train wreck and you get what you want, more power to you.
“Ranting about Bill Addington”? Not really. I remember her saying how she hadn’t slept and how she did not hate anyone (referring to the arrest I assume) and how she struggled with Searching for a way to express her feelings toward the arresting Sherrif. As she struggled, a fan asked of her shirt which mentioned Bill Addington. She then explained who he was, not ranting but answering a fans question, saying how he’s lost most everything and that he, not she, should be in the media’s eye and not her.
Fiona may be a shadow of her formal self, gaunt and very unhealthy, but things “going awry”, to me, is not very accurate.
I will surely be up to seeing Ms Fiona Apple with her smiley socks, Little Miss twinkle toes ; ) again and again. There is power behind those small hands when she sounded off on her drum, raw talent while she plays her piano,,as a matter of fact there was positive energy among all who resided in the positive zone… I was in the zone with my shining star Fiona. Much Love was given in her performance. Thanks Fiona, I felt your vibe and she is one of those rare, raw, talented souls who can reach out and touch people deeply. Why is it so…It Is So… because Fiona Apple is keeping her life real. It is rare in this world today …so stick it where the sun doesn’t shine Mark Kemp. Don’t even tell me I was singing to pick up Fiona, NO no no dude… I was singing my melodies right on pitch with her… so there. Your so not correct about her or me. No no no… Oh Hell No. No no no
Much Love Fiona ; )
I like you, Mark. I read most all your reviews but I happen to disagree pretty strongly with this one. I was right against the stage rail, dead center in front of Fiona for the whole show. Did I see how thin she was? Of course. You would be blind not to notice. She didn’t look healthy. But aside from that I noticed she was grinning. A lot. She treats the stage like a therapy session because that’s exactly what those manic lyrics are to her – therapy – but she was having FUN with her session on the Fillmore’s couch. And, with the exception of leaving Criminal off her set list, she gave the crowd what they wanted. So to refer to the show as depressing and say “Fiona Apple’s performance at the Fillmore in Charlotte turned into a train wreck of tragic and frustrating proportions” is another absurd statement that feeds into the current trend of the media painting a caricature of her instead of an accurate portrait.
I was at the show in Charlotte. This is my second time seeing Fiona live and I LOVE her honesty, imperfections, and raw emotions. She is an incredibly talented woman who has bared so much of herself in her lyrics and music. Was she thinner at this show than the one I attended for her last album yes, does that worry me, well yes a little. However, she has always been skinny and has offered a very valid horrific personal reason for her weight issues. So I am now where near going to rip her apart about her weight. At lease she is not a fat cow like so many others in our society. I throughly enjoyed this show, I enjoyed watching her be intensely into the performance she was delivering. My friends and I all sang very loudly to every word she shared with us. At one point I thanked her for singing on my birthday and she even bothered to look our way and smile. I loved every minute of this concert and had one of the best nights in years. Instead of being negative perhaps once in a while people could stand to focus on the positives and think outside the box a little. Fiona is never going to appear glowingly happy on stage. Her life has been pretty messed up in several ways and blessed in others. She communicates her pain, angst, sorrow, and yes joys, personal growths, and happiness all in a ball of songs overflowing with emotions. I love Fiona from what I know about her and I wish her only the best in life. If she is indeed in need of help hopefully her bandmates, family, and friends will help her through whatever challenge she ma y or may not be struggling with. And that concludes my two cents.
I like your comments, Violet. And I like your spirit.
This guy is vinigar diluted with water vaginal implement. She rocked out with emotion. Regardless of how she looks… She put on an emotional. personal, live show. And it was honest. And she rocks.
READ WRITE ABOUT GLORIA GUERRA ADDINGTON