Cocoon is Mark on guitars and Morgan on electric piano, charming and French (they wanted to be clear, “we are not together…”) Quiet, soft performances at Le Poisson Rouge Bleecker Street last night, in the heart and birthplace of the American folk scene. Who knew the rightful heirs would be this French Duo decades later!
A patient audience intently listened, although at times Mark hushed the crowd not in a frustrated tone, but a calming ssshh, as in listen, Listen. Translation was the electricity that powered the evening. They were both so honest in their stage presence and performance, chatting between each song revealing uneven nerves, which gave such pure reaction to their experience-a NYC club date for a packed house with many expats hungry to consume one of their own. Morgan’s “I’m distressed” a lovely literal translation for her emotions, and Mark when he didn’t like how a song was progressing and just restarted it, un-phased said “sorry, let me try that again, it’s a new song.” As if we were all sitting around like friends getting together for the night. It reminded me of a concert of the Indigo Girls that I saw in the ‘90’s when I lived in Paris. Their amazement that not only did they fill the club, but everyone knew all the words by heart, singing aloud with such feeling. I felt a belonging from that point on with my Parisian community that I hadn’t felt before.
Last night, music the common denominator, and English language the means to communicate, and as translation often does, it provided rich texture of missed syntax and inadvertently uneven definitions-the fertile ground of poetry.
The jewel of the evening walking out from the wings across the stage and having no use for it went straight down into the crowd, acoustic guitar in hand. The audience settled as Mark and Morgan sang, with no mics no tricks, authentic pure live music.
Read on:
Le Poisson Rouge is a really nice room, good sight lines and stage, great sound. But WHY the aquarium in the entry filled with what else? red fish-Koi. These caged fish, captured, inhumane and pointless, the tank showing signs of stain. This aquarium does nothing to enhance the musical experience it detracts and is cruel.
Let’s start a campaign to liberate Le Fish at Le Poisson Rouge.
merci Geraldine!