Jesse Sykes and Phil Wandscher – In-Store at Fargo Records, Paris – 25 May 2013
Jesse Sykes has a track record of arranging her shows to make sure I can’t get there, but last night’s announcement by Fargo – her European record company – that she and Phil Wandscher would be making a surprise in-store at the Fargo Boutique in the 11th district in Paris was a real bonus.
Fargo has just reissued Jesse’s first album, Reckless Burning, on vinyl and the 6 song set was split between 3 tracks from that record and the latest album Marble Sun.
By the time the set started the store was packed and given its geography everyone was asked to sit on the floor as Jesse and Phil set themselves up by the till. The only amplification was on Phil’s guitar so the (brief) soundcheck centred mainly on who could hear what.
I was curious to see how her voice carried off mike but needn’t have had any concerns as she pitched it just right. Overall the sound was as good as any of her other shows.
The audience lapped it up and would happily have stayed for a set two or three times as long.
This version of Reckless Burning is from the previous night’s show at Le Divan du Monde.