GHOST & MARISSA NADLER
Ghost
Anonymity. Kitsch. A flair for theatricality… On paper, Ghost sounds like a thespian’s dream come true but in the reality of this Swedish sextet’s execution, Ghost has been a transitional band. Not so much for the genre – that being whatever adjective-laden version of metal is the du jour flavor – but rather for aging metal fans. In their eight years as a band, they’ve consistently raised the bar of their own musicality. Proven by the discord amongst fans regarding the ever-present shifting in sound, Ghost is the kind of hard rock act fans aligned outside of the mainstream can grow old with.
Papa Emeritus II
Five nameless ghouls representing the four elements of earth, air, fire, water and alchemical ether have managed to remain unknown through a clever (and admitted) rotation and staunch adherence to rules. Shifting focus onto the three incarnations of front man Papa Emeritus more than likely utilizing the same person has helped maintain the illusion without sacrificing the sound. We’ve seen this trick done differently before, at least a version of subterfuge and obfuscation from fellow Swedes The Hives.
Ghost
Call it a byproduct of Scandinavian socialism, in any case, the band grew under the shadows of Linkoping’s dominant architectural feature, the cathedral of the Church of Sweden, and while that doesn’t mean anything, it’s a funny addendum to the religious (or is it anti-religious) overtones of their lyrical work. There is a sense of humor that’s pervasive of the band, be it in Papa’s often surreal approach to answering interview questions or whichever ghoul gets the call from coach to make good with the press.
The self-awareness of their playing dress-up for a living never fully takes away from their professionalism as musicians and the fact that not only do they craft great tunes, they also pick excellent covers to pepper their catalogue with makes them darlings of music lovers. Their take on Roky Erickson’s ‘If You Have Ghosts’ is already a classic. As live performers, their “Rituals” are well-crafted productions with their crowd reminiscent of the folks you’d catch at a better showing of the Rocky Horror Picture Show. Meaning, it’s perfectly okay for older fans to dress up in their satanic best.
Marissa Nadler
This level of musical sophistication and affinity for orchestral grandiosity have brought legions of fans some pretty good “Rituals” with often like-minded opening acts sharing the stage. For the closeout of this tour, Ghost will have the dark, ambient stylings of Marissa Nadler as opener. The prolific singer/songwriter and multi-instrumentalist based out of Boston brings a mature and deep sound to the stage with an enviably long catalog amassed over the last 17 years.
Pegged into the dream pop world, Nadler’s soft yet reassuring voice can artfully waver across genres with the same pomp and fervor regardless of it being a solo effort or a collaboration. Think somewhere in the middle of Bjork and Kaki King with an eclectic record collection guiding the musical education. If Ghost goes for the music to make the impression and for the experience to create a bond with their crowd, Nadler will be the more personal and intimate part of the night. She is heartfelt and emotional, that she manages to retain an unsettling dark streak running underneath it all, is a testament to her skill set and why she might never become a mainstream darling. It doesn’t seem to matter, she’s been doing fairly well for herself and this tour will grab her some news fans for sure.
Marissa Nadler
In essence, the performances on this tour have been more ritualistic than those in the past for a number of reasons. The band has a more varied arsenal of tunes to build from, the addition of Nadler opening will set a subconscious tonality that will create a proper rhythmic trance, and finally, the combination of the two will make for the proper atmosphere in which concert-goers can revel in a la Rocky Horror. This might be dark music with elements of metal, but the band has never shied from fun and humor. Hell, in that vein why don’t we just go ahead and propose that maybe it isn’t Tobias Forge behind Papa’s makeup but rather, Hives front man Pelle Almqvist.
Since the days of ABBA, the Swedes have been a hard bunch to pigeon-hole and/or figure out. Anything’s possible but for this night, everything will be alright. Ghost with Marissa Nadler at 7pm on Thursday, November 3 at the Fillmore Miami Beach. ghost-official.com.
~ Abel Folgar
