Lanky school girl somehow got cool.
Suzanne Vega has the gait and swagger of a hip goose.
Now 65 she’s like a very cool great aunt.
She sways from side to side in a long black dress – and clicks her fingers.
Her finger clicking is extraordinary. The loudest I’ve ever heard. It freaks me out. Sharp and crisp – the fingers and thumbs become a genuine instrument.
And what a voice. It’s what I’ve paid to come and hear. No surprise right? She’s a singer. But I’d pay to hear her speak too. Her voice is New York in the 80s. Unnervingly calm and self-assured. Vega never sings at the top or bottom of her range, never strains.
Vega plays an acoustic guitar. A white haired Ronnie Woods type, plays a series of electric guitars. All the songs are given a remake with this crisp sound, for better or worse.
We get to hear Luka and Tom’s Diner. I’ve always thought of Tom’s Diner as an artistic masterpiece. Its an anti-song in some ways. Songs are usually very clearly about something, some thought, some feeling. But Tom’s Diner captures so well, those soft mushy non-moments in life, between people watching, letting thoughts and feelings wonder and being a bit bored.
The lyrics of Suzanne’s songs are discernible, which means you can listen to them for the first time and follow them. And several of them are worth making the effort for, especially the personal ones. They are beautiful stories, usually of loves lost.
In the venue, El Teatro Lara we are all sat down, our air conditioned. In the Madrilenan context, 99.9 Fahrenheit degrees breaks down as a metaphor. Outside on the streets, the furnace continues to burn at 10.30 in the evening, having reached a 100 or so in the afternoon.
Suzanne Vega played El Teatro Lara, Madrid, 25th July 2024.