Joanna Newsom - Baby Birch - Somerset House 2008

[underlinedluke]

@KidEh1979 Did she play In California on piano? Damn, I would love to hear it

[lexis1234567]

So god darn amazing

[iHeartCoolStuff]

Who let Michael J Fox operate the camera?

[TheOdderOne]

I've said all I can possibly say about Baby Birch for the past few months so I'll say this instead: before finding Joanna, my money for best interactive live band/artist went hands down on The Who (find some of their live stuff here, they're literally like a comedy team). But Joanna has such "charisma and eloquence" (as someone else said) and I just hope if I ever have the opportunity to perform live music again (once at a talent show doesn't count), that I could be as engaging and funny as her

[nillawafers88]

I actually like this version better than the one on the album. The album version is too slow and drawn out, imo.

[Questpeace]

Album version is much, much better. One of the best songs I've heard in ages.

[parisianna87]

newsom love

[hanzellacayo]

Does anyone have this Baby Birch performance in mp3, good quality? I only have this youtubish one... PLease, someone help me get that version. :( it's far way better than the album version.

[frunklewaff]

how can she make me cry??? dammit joanna!!! lol xxx

[nillawafers88]

Hi, saladsnowflakes. The meaning behind Joanna's lyrics are rarely completely obvious. What makes you think this song is about an abortion? I don't think it is at all.

[MoreThanMutual]

The album version is sublime!!!

[lukeloseth]

i'm glad it's not the future too

[baroquepopfan]

The album version is amazing! (She plays it on the harp and it has some great backing.)

[frufanstrat]

Nice dress :)

[saladsnowflakes]

not confirmed but I think it's pretty over the top obvious, don't you think?

[saladsnowflakes]

oh god this song is so sad

i'm not against abortion but i could never get one

i think i'd feel like this

[gifton]

new album out in the 23nd of feb!! apparently it is 3 discs...

[marcanta]

What, wait? Where did you hear this? Is it officially confirmed?

[RFrankB]

@gifton ohhh! I would have been happy with half a disc! Wondrous =D

[bmargarete]

this song is so horribly heartbreaking

[shakingflesh]

I love her.

[PallaAurinkoon]

music is music is music

just listen guys

[Kitty8elle]

i personally think her voice just gets better and better

[seeker23]

Glad to hear her returning to the sound of her first Album. Y's was a little too inaccessible and esoteric for my taste. I prefer her more traditional song construction, bluesy / folksy stuff over the multi-parted epic Renaissance opera pieces.

"En Gallop" and "This Side of the Blue" have always been my favorites. This new song is in the same genre.

[JacobDobner]

This is more Ys to me, just sans orchestra.

[GabbaGanchi]

i think we'll just have to wait for the record to drop... but hopefully it's more like neither. both albums are beautiful for their own sake, and i'm not sure it's fair to compare them. but her new material does seem Ys-y in regards to song length and structure, M-EM-y in regards to lyrics and instruments. i'm super excited no matter what, though.

[biggabob]

Matt Bellamy is my baby birchXD

I love this song, seriously beautiful. What a magical evening

[grandiaguy]

Matt Bellamy is a sexy beast :)

[LumberjackDeChristo]

oh man the end is totally my favorite part. I cant help but smile watching her concentrate while singing the lyrics

[fr3dooooo]

this is so beautiful it makes me cry!!! n.n

[ghost2031]

i hear influences of the slave songs which gives the song more life. but it's fantasticly adopted into something new and fresh.

[ghost2031]

but i don't want to disrespect the slave songs. it's just the way i hear it.

[whatwehaveknown]

I think this song is about a character or perhaps joanna... talking about abortion and the haunting affects of that and if or if-not its sortof breaking "gods" plan or not....is what i gatherd from it.

[cartographersband]

Fair enough. Based on what she said about reading different versions of the Ys story and how it got changed and as she said "christianized," something tells me she doesn't subscribe to such mythology.

[sauce144]

HI JACKSON!

[squirtgunrobbery]

this is absolutely incredible. perfect. SHE NEEDS TO MAKE A NEW RECORD ALREADY! :(

[acornandbuffalo]

do you think Joanna is baby birch?

[lebeanne]

I think Bill Callahan is.

[lebeanne]

I think Bill Callhan is.

[RarisaChan]

the most captivating and brilliant person i've ever seen

[cosmiaa]

I am in love with the end of this song

[ericgirlrh]

This song is so beautiful. I think I prefer when she performs on piano, because she looks at the audience more, so the message of the song gets across better in some ways.

Thanks for posting this!

[abaltazar9]

has that old folk ballad sound like Hard times come again no more

[shunthetree]

she looks great. it seems like she's talking to the crowd much more. when i saw her in '06 she spoke very little, which sucks, because she's got so much charisma and eloquence.

hope she comes up here again soon. thanks for this video.

[eyedreamdesign]

"charisma and eloquence" yes, perfect! she fuses so many elements together and forms a powerful emotional energy. I have not seen/heard her live, but from these videos I get a slight awareness of the collective presence, and coherence at the sense level and beyond, that she creates with the audience. she is so imaginative, poetic, and just takes me away. a few years ago my brother committed suicide, by a river, and The Milk-Eyed Mender was the last CD in his player.

[shunthetree]

i hope you have the chance to see her soon. i really feel like it changed me to be there while she was playing. i don't want to put the poor woman on a pedestal but i think she has something that very very few people have; a means of connecting. it takes me away too. i am so sorry about your brother. i really can't imagine that loss. but it must mean something, huh? i am touched that you shared that anecdote.

[Jordarnm]

Have I posted to express my appreciation yet? I have not! This is fast becoming a favourite... The other brand new song she played was also excellent, such a shame no one has a recording of it. I'd kill to see her at the CSC.

[squirtgunrobbery]

this is absolutely stunning.

[Aberjan]

She throws a smile at 7:28 that made me laugh so hard (I nearly missed it, look carefully!)

[prcchati]

Thanks for posting this!

[StevenEdmondson]

I was at this.

She got cold and left. No encore.

Still brilliant though.

[Jordarnm]

Actually, it's due to London law - live music is illegal past 10:30.

[Jordarnm]

Least, that's what I was told.

[StevenEdmondson]

Ah, that makes sense.

Thanks.

[tomrinsin]

haha, I meant to say beautiful woman; not that there weren't beautiful women in the crowd

[tomrinsin]

Beautiful song, beautiful women, beautiful evening. I love it when an artist plays new material that sweeps you off your feet all over again; she seems to do it so effortlessly. Is the song you can't upload the one where she says 'cuckoo cuckoo cuckoo'? Because I thought that was such an amazing song.

[KidEh1979]

Yeah the one where she does a high pitched wooo sound in the chorus :). I'll put it up as soon as I get it.

[tomrinsin]

Thanks, I can't wait!

[Decom5]

Thanks, brings back happy memories of Sunday night :)

[horsebrain1]

i really really really like this song, it was my fav of the new songs also

[yooilka]

Thank you for putting that up!

[biggabob]

This was my favourite of the new songs, I love that she makes some mistakes while playing, it makes it more natural.

"I hate to close the door on you" very beautiful lyrics.