St. Vincent‘s music goes beyond the merely dramatic, at times; it can be harrowing, if not soul-shaking, in its most intimate and passionate moments. So it’s not completely surprising that Annie Clark, the woman behind the nom de plume, would be interested in enhancing that sense of drama by finally working with a full orchestra — on her recently released album “Live in London!” and, now, on a U.S. tour that culminates with an appearance Aug. 2 at the Hollywood Bowl.
What is surprising, perhaps, is that in the same breath that she mentions Stravinsky as an influence on her music, Clark also mentions Disney scores of yore. Just don’t expect the birds to come down and chirp in circles around her head as she puts a new spin on catalog favorites like “Hell Is Near,” “Violent Times,” “Black Rainbow” and “Paris Is Burning.”
This current turn of events was born when Clark was invited to participate in the BBC Proms classical/pops crossover program, as captured on the new album, which was initially put out only on streaming and just had a vinyl edition come out in July. “Live in London!” would have been an essential enough addition to the catalog of one of rock’s modern greats, even without an in-the-flesh spinoff tour. But American fans are particularly lucky to hear her joined by a pickup orchestra in a short series of shows that will culminate in three California dates this week: On Thursday, she’ll appear in San Francisco at Davies Symphony Hall with the San Francisco Symphony. Saturday, Clark will play San Diego’s Rady Shell at Jacobs Park with the San Diego Symphony Orchestra. And finally, Sunday will bring her to L.A. for a show with the Hollywood Bowl Orchestra.
