Music Review: The Heartstring Symphony
By Guest Writer
On Wednesday, October 24th, I emerged from my home like a feminine Gollum from her posh Los Feliz cave. I was hung over and in the middle of watching Tom Hanks in BIG, but ventured to Tangier to absorb the superior live music of The Heartstring Symphony.
Songstress Heather Porcaro’s Heartstring Symphony explores the surreal and introspective landscape of her emotional life. The experience is a cross between Suzanne Vega, Clara Bow and a shooting star passing through a moonbeam.
Heather took the stage looking like an animated Erté fashion sketch in an opera-coat-esque dress with blooming sleeves, living doll tights, and a sparkling art deco headband.
The set started out with a groovy rendering of a Gil Scott-Heron number, which asserted that one could call on Lady Day or John Coltrane to melt their troubles away. This was good. Heather brought instant spirit to the floor by doing the mashed potato and some funky heel to toe footwork reminiscent of James Brown. The shagadelic rhythm soon ceased. Heather picked up her silver-strapped guitar and led the band as they opened up into Heartstring Symphony originals.
During the intro to For Love, Heather’s rhythm guitar and D.C.’s electric bass locked together while Alec’s twinkling guitar hooks took my internal cinema to a perfect sunny day. One that would cause larger-than-love lens flares on any camera that attempted to capture its brilliance. For Love is catchy, clever, and a classy take on waiting for the timing to be right to get the best from a special relationship.
In Space Monkey she packs snacks for her beloved as they embark on a figurative trip. The poignant lyrics and agile melody in Space Monkey really cut through to the heart, even in a crowded club. “How will we fit?” she asks, “It’s not our size. We’ve done it up-ways, and down-ways and all ways. Now we’ve done it all wrong – it’s okay there’s time to correct.” Amen, sister. It’s really the hope in Heather’s lyrical perspective which, in my opinion, makes the work so precious. She is very honest, but never dark.
The band played a few new songs that were more on the rock side. The bass was trotting a bit faster, the drums pushing forward, and the guitar weaving through the two as if it was playing sonic double dutch.
Moonshapes is one of my favorite Heartstring Symphony songs. It’s an intelligent upbeat dance tune in which our mistress of ceremonies asks, “Have you seen the moon? It’s changing shapes. Do you like to dance? It’s important to dance”. Alec, the guitarist, really shines on the choruses, employing beautiful guitar tones. I heard some people singing along with Heather’s heartfelt melody. After the song was finished, the crowd’s singing turned into people hooting and calling out like wild animals in an enchanted forest. That we were!
