San Francisco – “Enigma” is a word that is not used enough these days, despite the many modern artists whose personas can really only be described in such a way: Björk, ANOHNI (f.k.a. Antony Hegarty), Richard James (Aphex Twin), etc. When it comes to originality, these are all people whose musical innovation and talent is surpassed only by the mystique that emanates from within their souls. The term “enigma” often invokes the image of the DC comics villain The Riddler (Edward Nygma) or memories of a new age band featured in several Pure Moods TV infomercials, but trying to explain the nature of the definition in the purest sense of the word is not a simple task. The best way to define an enigma is to do so by example, and Las Vegas musician Shamir is a near-perfect model.
Shamir Bailey is only twenty, and he’s already released an EP and full-length album, the latter being one of the most celebrated debut LPs of last year (if not all time). His signature androgyny is illustrated beautifully in his “no fucks given” attitude and innate ability as a performer, ushering in a fabulous new age of highly regarded queer art. Even off the stage, smoking a cigarette on the curb outside the venue he’s about to headline, he radiates a hypnotic charisma that is both intimidating and comforting. There is no arrogance, no superiority complex surrounding him; his existence is organically dynamic. He wore a simple paper crown — which may have been an homage to Jean-Michel Basquiat — adding to his already royal appearance. He acts like one of us — just one more humble civilian — yet in reality, he embodies a staggering visionary presence.
The Swedish American Hall in San Francisco was opened as a music venue fairly recently, serving as an attractive destination for the newly coined “Mid-Market” area of San Fran, as well as the epicenter of operations for Noise Pop Industries. The venue boasts a gorgeous, quaint interior, which is fitting for the predominantly mellow, seated shows the space normally accommodates. Shamir’s sold-out show on the last day of April did not quite fit that mold, as the cozy floor was packed to the gills with eager, standing attendees, who used the few minutes between opening singer Nylo and Shamir’s set to either shout drink orders to the bartender on duty, or fan themselves and each other with whatever tools they had at their disposal to evade the climbing temperatures within the hall.
I’ve only seen Shamir two times prior to this show: one was a free show last April on UC-Berkeley’s campus (just weeks before the release of his debut LP Ratchet), and the other was at last year’s Treasure Island Music Festival. On both occasions, Shamir performed outdoors, giving the singer/songwriter/producer the appropriate amount of space and air his illustrious style requires. Within the confines of such a small venue as the Swedish American Hall, Shamir still shined brighter than most, yet it seemed like the reduced space was operating as a hindrance to his performance. With a sound as big as Shamir’s, the cozier venues like Swedish American Hall may not be optimal space. Everything seemed a littler smaller and more scaled back than his previous shows. Even his backing band had shrunk. The band that used to include several multi-instrumentalists and back-up singers (even a horn player!) was reduced to a keyboardist, a drummer, and one backing vocalist (granted, the stage at the Swedish American Hall is about the size of a walk-in closet).
Despite issues regarding space and the change in personnel, the performance was (somewhat expectedly) flawless. Shamir opened with one of his few slow-jams, the opening track to Ratchet, “Vegas,” which is more or less an ode to his hometown of Sin City. “Vegas” served as the first of only a handful of more down-tempo songs of the evening, the others being “Demon” and “Darker” (a tribute to his grandmother). The rest of the set bounced with the infectious energy that Shamir is better known for, focusing mostly on tracks from Ratchet — “Youth,” “Hot Mess,” “In For the Kill,” and the ballistic, celebratory “Make A Scene” were easy highlights — though Shamir also gave us a taste of his older material with his performance of “Sometimes A Man,” from his first EP Northtown. The crowd went the wildest during the hit songs “On the Regular” and “Call it Off.” For his closing number, Shamir elected to finish his set in the same sort of way that he had started: by playing the last track off of Ratchet, the boisterous, introspective “Head in the Clouds.” The crowd was pretty disappointed about there not being an encore, but hey, when you’ve only got one album and one EP out there, no one can expect you to just keep playing… especially with that falsetto, woof!
I first stumbled upon Shamir during an episode of Sirius XMU’s Blog Radio, which is a segment that comes on around noon (Eastern) every weekday and features a two-hour long show helmed by some of the most revered music blogs out there (BrooklynVegan, My Old Kentucky Blog, Gorilla Vs. Bear, etc.), but I wasn’t aware of his admirable staying power. I basically just stumbled into his free show at Cal last spring, and I am so glad I did. His hair was much longer then, with serpentine dreadlocks tied up so neatly that we didn’t even know it was that long until he let it down at the end of his show. At the end of the Berkeley show, he ran into the crowd and started hugging everybody within reach. And the energy of Shamir’s music does just that; it embraces you, it’s warm and comforting, and it’s a little musky. The Swedish American Hall may not have been the wisest choice for Mr. Bailey’s most recent San Francisco concert, but he certainly had no trouble filling the space with his colorful sound, and Shamir certainly had no noticeable qualm in making us blissful prisoners in his web of enigmatic prowess.
Shamir’s debut LP Ratchet was released last year via XL Recordings. His only currently scheduled tour dates are all at summer festivals, including Sasquatch, Bonnaroo, and Pitchfork Music Festival. For more information, visit Shamir’s Facebook page.
Photography by Corey Bell for Best New Bands. Like us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter.
Corey Bell
Latest posts by Corey Bell (see all)
- Jagwar Ma’s ‘Every Now & Then’ is Quite the Ride - July 31, 2017
- 2 New Bands at Voodoo Music Festival Day 3 - November 4, 2016
- 5 New Bands at Voodoo Music Festival Day 2 - October 30, 2016
