Indie rock star Laetitia Tamko, better by her stage name Vagabon has laid quite low since the height of the pandemic (rightfully so) but this weekend she made her virtual return with a special performance of songs from her critically acclaimed self-titled album and more. Saying almost nothing throughout the entire set she pauses only once between tracks to remark, “this is the part where I say I’m Vagabon.” Besides that, every word of the set is in a song. Even when she takes a moment and acknowledges each member of the band, it’s during the performance of the track “Water Me Down”.
This single-sighted focus on the task at hand, namely the immaculate lineup of 11 songs gave the whole affair a certain degree of seriousness. Counterbalanced by her wife and opening act SASAMI’s wonderful acoustic playing and fun commentary. The Domino Records’ rocker gave the audience a sneak peek at her forthcoming album, which will be her first full album since the release of her self-titled project in 2019.
To be clear, the stern approach to the set was not by any means off-putting but rather immersive. Every track was played to a tee, from Tamko’s immaculate and nearly flooring vocals to the drums, bass, guitar, and keys that supported them. When the songs commanded you to nod your head along, you did. And as numerous members of the live chat commented, when they demanded a dance, all of us at home got right up out of our seats. For a live-from-the-studio concert, that’s not said lightly as I’ve tuned in for my fair share these past few months. Others painfully dragged along through scrappily held renditions of otherwise brilliant studio tracks which resulted in quite a few unplanned naps. But Vagabon–perhaps determined to avoid exactly this pitfall–traced her own pieces.
There’s no replacing the in-person connection and adrenaline experienced at a live show, but as live stream concerts go, Vagabon’s was as close as one can come. If bringing live concerts into the conversation can contribute anything, it’s the remark that a live stream like Vagabon’s calls to mind fond memories in indie theaters and gets me excited for when we can do that again. And if Vagabon ever headlines a concert nearby, you can bet I’ll be there. I can’t say no to such clear and brilliant music, performed by someone with such attention to herself and her craft so much so that you almost become a part of the group.
Vagabon’s latest single “Reason to Believe” featuring Courtney Barnett is available for all music is purchased and streamed including Spotify. To listen to Vagabon’s critically acclaimed self-titled album click here.
Want more of Vagabon? Be sure to connect with her across your favorite social media platforms including Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.
