While I enjoyed Monika H.'s latest CD, Disguised as Umbrellas, We Slept (see previous review), the band's live show is extraordinary. I caught the band's live set at Rockwood Music Hall a few weeks ago and was blown away.

The musical structure of the live set was a cross between the downtown jazz of artists like John Zorn and the free-form experimental sounds of artists like Robert Fripp and Throbbing Gristle. As seemingly spontaneous and unpredictable as the music was, there was a clear sense of structure beneath the complex intertwining of the instruments and Monika's voice.

At Rockwood, Monika was playing with a full brass section and the song arrangements were fairly different from that on the new CD. Check out some of the videos that I filmed at the show:

Monika H. Band - Rockwood Music Hall 11/19/08


Monika H. Band - Rockwood Music Hall 11/19/08


Monika H. Band is playing Southpaw on December 16th along with Viva and Nation Beat. Tickets are $10.

Links:
Monika H. Band's MySpace Page
Monika H. Band's Website