AH ME OH MY
Magnus told me beforehand that she was “working on the idea of being unprepared.” I cringed–mostly, I think, from the memory of so many performers who had achieved that all too well. And though it may be vital for artists to explore new challenges, I’m not entirely convinced that the exploration should take place before a paying audience.
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Magnus’s cool, often cerebral stage persona isn’t everybody’s cup of tea, but I’ve always enjoyed her irony and savage vulnerability. Although Magnus is quite funny, and often quite self-effacing, hers is a bleak, sober humor. And even though her performances often involve some interaction with the audience, she splits that fourth wall little more than a crack. When she leaves the stage during a show, she’s always in character, always in control. At times she’s even seemed uncomfortable breaking away from her stage persona–she’s notorious for disappearing after performances. So, while I had little doubt that Magnus could pull off this randomized concert, I was concerned about whether she could ease up enough to have fun, and whether we’d enjoy the show.
And so it went, each song performed a cappella on a bare stage, with Magnus changing persona, position, or attitude. Some tunes were absurd, some about the desolation of middle-class existence, some seemingly about dreams. All but three–Bertolt Brecht’s “Good That Way” and “All of a Sudden” and Beau O’Reilly’s “I Would Marry the Bird”–were originals. “Good That Way” proved the most memorable; O’Reilly’s piece was one of the most delicately performed. Magnus was in good voice, charming, even charismatic. After each song she cringed–sometimes more believably, sometimes less. There was much playfulness and good humor. Ah Me Oh My provided a delightful peek at an artist experimenting in a very personal way. And yet there were problems.
