Owen Pallett brings the violin out of its popularity slump
Has the violin made any detectable dent in American pop culture of the 21st century? With the exception of Andrew Bird, the violin has been mostly tied to Country acts and the Mozart-minded. But this Tuesday at the Aladdin, Owen Pallett will show Portland how he’s bringing the violin out of its popularity slump.
Pallett began as the violinist and arranger for indie instant classic Arcade Fire. Then he started a solo project Final Fantasy. With neither an international legal dispute nor crystal thievery, Final Fantasy changed his name in a rather anticlimactic missive that read, “The laws of trademark infringement exist for good reason, and so I am voluntarily retiring my band name.” Pallett has reverted back to his given name while continuing to perform his unique take on the violin.
Using loops and different performance techniques including double stops, pizzicato, and col legno (with the wood of the bow), Pallett makes the violin into a versatile instrument surprisingly fit for a solo performing indie act. His 2006 album, He Poos Clouds, is an 8-song cycle based on the 8 schools of magic in Dungeons & Dragons. For those of us who don’t know our Fighters from our Wizards, the album is a well-crafted combination of pop and classical influences accompanied by original lyrics sung in Pallett’s soft voice.
His most recent album, Heartland, maintains the playfulness of his first albums while creating a more complete sound. Check out the extremely odd, yet optimistic music video for his most recent single, “Lewis Takes Off His Shirt.”