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Who: Bat For Lashes, Lewis & Clarke
Where: First Unitarian Church, Philadelphia

When an artist has as much hype surrounding it as Bat For Lashes, you can go into the show in one of two ways: assume that the hype is just the result of overstimulated, cooler-than-you bloggers, or believe the hype and set yourself up for the letdown. I was somewhere in the middle Friday night at the church. Then a few things happened: the show sold out, for one. Pretty big deal. Then I realized how big of a production can be pulled off in the church — I had only been to a show in the basement previously — when Lewis & Clarke played a loud, bass-heavy set.

So the stage was set, figuratively, and literally, with odd lamps, garland and so on. Natasha Khan, who is Bat For Lashes, and her unique, solid backing band played a remarkable, eerie set that had the feel of a festival show at, say, Coachella. Fans sang along, Khan engaged and energized the crowd, and the sound and lights were at an arena level. A lot has been made of Khan’s mysticism, or weirdness even, but I didn’t pick up on that. She has a great writing style, a great voice for delivering those lyrics and the ability to augment her songs with unique instrumentation. She’s like a more extroverted Tori Amos, or Bjork without the elf-on-crack personality.

The night before, Bat For Lashes played at the Bowery Ballroom in New York City. David Byrne attended. The day she played in Philly, she taped an appearance that was aired that night on “Late Night with David Letterman.”

Friday’s show at the church was long by indie standards, well over an hour long. She offered two versions of the new hit “Daniel,” a stripped-down take and the full-blown bells-and-whistles edition from “Two Suns.”

The show was raucous and techno-flavored, it was quiet, it was loud. It was pretty much everything, and not for nothing, Khan, who from afar, with her brunette bangs and slightly upturned nose resembles Lily Allen, is quite alluring. When people are watching, appearances matter. But this show — and Bat For Lashes — is not about style without substance. The songs are solid, catchy and a little scary, a combination that should continue to pay dividends for a long time.

About the Author

Education
Penn State University, University Park
Bachelors degree: Journalism, English minor
Saint Joseph's University, Philadelphia
Masters of arts degree: Writing studies
Manchester University, Manchester, England
Communications

Selected Publications
The Weekender, LexisNexis Securities Litigation, ESPN.com, The Associated Press, Philadelphia Daily News, Philly Edge, Universitywire.com, The Daily Collegian

From
Pittston

Resides
Scranton

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