Date: July 24th
Venue: Sullivan Hall (NY)
Review by Dawoud Kringle
After an oppressive heat wave in NYC broke, and enjoying the cool summer night breeze, I ventured downtown to Sullivan Hall to hear Arcane Insignia.
Arcane Insignia is in a category of their own. Describing themselves as acoustic prog rock band, they use complex lyrical themes, instrumental passages, and concept songs in a stripped down acoustic format. The band members are James Alexander on 7 string classical guitar, Jimmy Lopez on percussion, Antoinette Ady on 5 string violin, and Jennifer Catherine Shaw on cello.
A pulse on shakers and a counterpoint between guitar harmonics and pizzicato violin. A sweet violin melody was suddenly rendered sorrowful with angry minor chords on the guitar. Thus began their dramatic opening song.
A tight interplay between the musicians is obvious. The intricate arrangements are navigated with precision, and an easy communication between them.
The music has a marvelous sense of dramatics and emotional content. The vibe is almost as if a rural (or, I might dare say, a post-apocalyptic) Metallica from among nomadic gypsies formed an ensemble of souls who clearly see themselves as equal to any Wagnerian symphony, and its composers.
The pacing of their performance was good. There were never any moments where the audience’s attention was allowed to wander. They always threw something new at you.
A sharp division between the male and female members of the group was obvious. Lopez and Alexander were extroverted and animated, while Ady and Shaw were subdued and careful in their execution of the music. This provided a most interesting balance and contrast.
Lopez’ virtuosity on percussion was always evident. He drove the music with a precise yet muscular abandon. Alexander’s guitar playing mostly concentrated on a rhythmic and harmonic framework, leading and conducting the sharp twists and turns of the music. Ady’s violin and Shaw’s cello weaved in and around the sharp angular arrangements like velvet ornamented with calligraphy and insignia (no pun intended) wrapping around the blade of a ceremonial sword.
Their set seemed shorter than the obligatory 40 minutes, and ended all too soon. It seemed the music was not finished. The music of Arcane Insignia is a unique trek through fantasy realms that are, at the same time, in sync with the world we live in. It needs to be savored.
P.S. from the editor: you can meet Arcane Insignia and see the band performing in the subway at 14th Street. In the passageway between the 1,2 and 3 and the L lines.
