Live Report: St. Vincent blesses 3Olympia Theatre with a hellishly divine set

When we last spoke to St. Vincent - about her latest album All Born Screaming and an upcoming show at 3Olympia - she was keen to offer a few details about her brand-new live set.

“So, you show up and it’s just me and an acoustic guitar, playing a song in half-time,” St. Vincent joked. “No, haha! Conceptually, the show starts in hell and ends in heaven.”

Naturally, the expectations were high for her gig this past Sunday. Under the tawny lights, 3Olympia was heaving in a sea of anticipation as the hour of St. Vincent fell upon us. The lights cut out and the bellowing roars immediately ensued.

St. Vincent at 3Olympia Theatre. Copyright Colm Kelly.

The GRAMMY-winning art rocker - aka Annie Clark - strolled on stage with a vengeful strut through the darkness, illuminated by a soft white spotlight. Surrounded by a mire of drones, St. Vincent tore into a volatile rendition of ‘Reckless’, a song that explores the downward spiral of grief after a loved one dies.

The track starts off as a brooding dirge and builds towards a pummelling eruption of wailing synths and programmed drums that resembles brute force chaos barrelling down as Clark’s voice cries out, lost in the wicked flurry of it all.

St. Vincent at 3Olympia Theatre. Copyright Colm Kelly.

In other words, the show was off to a great start.

The incredible first half included a sweeping roster of new tunes and old favourites. ‘Los Ageless’ filled the theatre space with cinematic noir drama, while the more recent ‘Big Time Nothing’ diffused a laundry list of axioms set to a squelching funk backing. In a brief moment of quietude, Clark showed off her impeccable vocal range on ‘Violent Times’, accompanied by keyboardist Rachel Eckroth.

St. Vincent and Jason Falkner at 3Olympia Theatre. Copyright Colm Kelly.

Songs like ‘Sweetest Fruit’, a tribute to the late SOPHIE, and the industrial rock supernova ‘Broken Man’ sounded downright incredible in the rawness of live performance. The tight backing - Eckroth, Jason Falkner on guitar, Charlotte Kemp Muhl on bass and Mark Guiliana on drums - brought fortified polish to the setlist.

Charlotte Kemp Muhl with St. Vincent at 3Olympia Theatre. Copyright Colm Kelly.

Throughout the gig, Clark made sure to honour what made her such an incredible artist to begin with: her fierce guitar chops. On such tracks as 'Flea' and 'All Born Screaming', she cemented her status as one of the best guitarists on the planet.

St. Vincent at 3Olympia Theatre. Copyright Colm Kelly.

A standout moment came during ‘New York’, where Clark stepped into the crowd to belt the lyrics alongside the punters, reaching for their hands and expressing her love with a simple look as everyone sang that indelible hook: “You're the only motherfucker in the city who can handle me”.

As I left the venue, I was reminded again of our recent interview with St. Vincent, where she dished her hopes for audiences’s expectations on the tour.

St. Vincent at 3Olympia Theatre. Copyright Colm Kelly.

“It’s wild. The show’s a little like, ‘Hide the children, the freaks are coming to town!’,” she asserted. “I like people to walk away going, ‘I’m not sure what I just saw, but I’m really moved by it.’”

I chewed over that last line in particular. The thing is, I knew exactly what I'd seen. Greatness, in the flesh, in the heat of the moment; and, goddamnit, I was utterly moved.

St. Vincent at 3Olympia Theatre. Copyright Colm Kelly.

Check out the full gallery from the concert here. Photography by Colm Kelly