April 2011: UAA Concert Board is proud to present St. Vincent

Friday, April 15, 7:30 p.m.
Wendy Williamson Auditorium

Two years ago, Annie Clark's recorded debut as St. Vincent, Marry Me, gave immediate notice that a dizzying new talent had emerged from the flatlands of Texas. Critics from all points of the cultural compass -- from Pitchfork to Spin to The New York Times Magazine -- were entranced by the album's precocious arrangements and elegant lyrics and the steadily growing crowds at St. Vincent's live shows were astonished by Clark's gargantuan musical chops and her magnetic stage presence. No small number of St. Vincent fans took the title of "Marry Me" literally, had their hearts duly broken, and wouldn't have had it any other way. The record was heralded as a remarkably successful entrance and Clark capped a year of international touring by winning the Plug Awards' Female Artist of the Year.

"Actor," St. Vincent's beguiling, sophisticated new record, takes that debut's ambition as its starting point and never looks back. The arrangements are more masterful, the songwriting grander, the performances ever more confident and inspired. Clark developed an idiosyncratic writing process for actor, immersing herself in some of her favorite films -- Badlands, Pierrot le Fou, The Wizard of Oz, Stardust Memories, Sleeping Beauty -- and beginning each song as a secret film score, then slowly giving it independence as its structure and lyrics came fully into focus. The resulting 11 tracks are as cinematic as pop songs can be, but the movie is a private one, revealing its storyline in hushed, cunning couplets and cascades of scathing guitar.

Tickets:

• $25 for advance/$30 at the door, general public
• $10 advance/$20 at the door, UAA students

UAA student tickets are limited to two (both must be UAA students, with valid UAA ID). General public tickets are available online at www.UAATix.com. Tickets are on sale now. Tickets are also available at the UAA Student Union Information Desk.

For more information or to arrange an interview, please contact Concert Board Coordinator Zac Clark at (907) 786-1210 or zac@uaa.alaska.edu.