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Sep 23, 2013 Web Exclusive By Frank Valish

There may not be a more perfect place to glimpse the future than a church. Last Saturday night in Philadelphia, in the sanctuary of the First Unitarian Church, a worship hall often used for evening concerts, the future of indie-pop music was revealed. His name is Kishi Bashi. The pseudonym of violinist K Ishibashi, Kishi Bashi made a (pseudo) name for himself with the 2011 debut, 151a, an experimental pop work that centered on violin, electronics, and unabashed melodic bliss, which combined to make something undeniably tuneful yet in some ways foreign to the current indie pop landscape. But what is perhaps most surprising is how well Kishi Bashi works his particularly idiosyncratic pop, filled with violin loops, soulful vocal crooning juxtaposed with Freddie Mercury-esque vocal wails, and strangely interspersed beat boxing, into an engaging, lively sonic stew that utterly captivates in a live setting.

But we get ahead of ourselves. Set against the scene of the late-1800s Philadelphia church sanctuary, filled with maroon cushioned pews, rafters seemingly a mile high, and Biblical scenes depicted in stained glass, the evening began with Philadelphia native Birdie Busch and her band The Greatest Night. Busch filled her 40-minute set with relatively soft and easy folk-tinged Americana, raising the stakes with the standout “Far From the Tree,” in which glorious three-part harmonies resoundingly filled the room.

The night’s second act was Elizabeth and the Catapult. While more poppy on record, it was the band’s soulful side that exploded and reverberated throughout the space on this night, led by the awesome vocal wonder of front-woman Elizabeth Ziman. Perhaps the most transfixing moment of the set was when Ziman stepped out in front of the mic, with an accordion no less, to sing a cover of Greg Laswell’s “Embrace Me,” her unamplified voice holding every ear in the hushed crowd at its behest.

Finally, by 11:00 PM, the people who waited in a line that snaked around the block an hour prior to show time got what they had been waiting for, the singer/violinist entering stage right, dressed in gray sport coat and black bowtie, and soon flanked by his band of bassist, drummer, and banjoist. Kishi Bashi has a knack, whether with his band or alone, for taking his lone violin and making it sound like a symphony, looping pizzicato parts and accompanying them with furious bowed melodies, all done with an energy and vibrant life belying the too often staid image of his instrument of choice.

By the fourth song, an invigorating, sped up version of “It All Began With a Burst,” led by the singer’s very Queen-like yelps, the entire congregation, many of whom moved from their pews to stage front, was furiously clapping and jumping up and down. The fifth song of the evening was a new composition, lyrically bolstered by the repeated line, “You are the answer to my question.” The singer said the song would be on a new album he was planning for 2014 (it was one of several new songs played by Kishi Bashi on this night). The track was all beautiful, ethereal balladry and easy on the looped idiosyncrasies. By “Chester’s Burst Over the Hamptons”, which the singer introduced by saying, “Now we’re going to freak out a bit,” it was easily apparent why Kishi Bashi can cover a band like Electric Light Orchestra-he covered the band’s “Prologue/Twilight” on his trio of 7” singles released by Joyful Noise Recordings earlier this year. The pop Kishi Bashi creates is very much like the intricate Jeff Lynne compositions that grace the best E.L.O. albums; they are multi-layered, melodically soaring, instrumentally vibrant, and imminently danceable.

Elsewhere in the evening, “I Am the Antichrist to You” was rendered, after a couple false starts, one of the most exquisitely beautiful pieces of music you are likely to ever hear live, and the performances of 151a centerpieces “Manchester” and “Bright Whites,” the latter played with Elizabeth and the Catapult’s Ziman, far exceeded their studio recorded counterparts.

To end the night, Kishi Bashi stepped out of character, performing a raucous full-band version of Led Zeppelin’s “Whole Lotta Love,” with lead vocals by the band’s bassist, who incidentally, from the 18^th row looked very much like a young Ed Helms. For the song’s beginning, and after proclaiming the Philadelphia audience “the best fucking crowd I’ve ever seen,” K jumped into the pit, camera in hand, to crowd surf while taking pictures of his faithful. It was the perfect end to a near perfect night. Be warned: the next wave of pop music has arrived.

(www.kishibashi.com)

(www.elizabethandthecatapult.com)

(www.birdiebuschmusic.com)