Live Review: Laetitia Sadier, Deradoorian and Lilac at The Vera Project 9/26

Okay, sure, this show was almost, like, a month ago, but I'm still reeling from seeing former Stereolab frontwoman Laetitia Sadier perform at the Vera Project. The influential artist spotlighted tracks from last year's Drag City solo full-length Something Shines, as well as her most recent single "Dry Fruit" (which was available at the merch table in '90s cassingle form, natch).

Local lady Lilac started the night with a lovely set of her synthpop sounds. The one-woman project of Madeline Franks translated well on stage, with the electronic beats and ethereal vocals echoing Sadier's old band Stereolab. Her self-released EP Dream Journal was the focus, but there were a few songs I didn't recognize, which I'm hoping is a hint of new releases to come!

As corny as it may sound, Angel Deradoorian always was my favorite member of Dirty Projectors, not only for her otherworldly voice, but also because I still remember how much fun she was when the band stopped by KEXP in 2010 (listen here). Even in a band of six people, Angel stood out.

So, naturally, I was pretty excited to hear she had released a solo album (under the name Deradoorian), The Expanding Flower Planet, out now on Anticon. Fans of her old band will not be disappointed, as she continues to combine aspects of world music with experimental pop. Apparently, Angel's solo debut was an EP back in 2009, but I ain't gonna front like I was hip to that. I'm late to the Deradoorian game.

The goofiness that endeared me to her in the KEXP studios was ever-present that night at the Vera Project. "You guys ready to rock, or what?" she asked the audience. She and her sister Arlene were dressed identically, all in black with red and orange toques, looking like members of Steve Zissou's crew in the Wes Anderson film The Life Aquatic. She jokingly described a typical Deradoorian set to the audience as, "20 minutes of jokes, and five minutes of crying." What she left out was the nearly 60 minutes of incredible music, as she and her sister proceeded to layer and combine every instrument under the sun to create their unique sound. Using samples recorded live (similar to what tUnE-yArDs did in this 2011 KEXP in-studio session), just two ladies created an enormous sound, grabbing guitars, percussion, keyboards, and even a flute. And then, of course, there were those vocals. It's obvious to say Angel and Arlene were born to harmonize together, singing within fractions of notes from each other, and then sampling their voices to create three-part harmonies on top of that. It was truly transfixing.

The set included The Expanding Flower Planet highlights like "Grow," the mysterious "Komodo," "A Beautiful Woman," and "The Eye," which Angel introduced by saying, "This song is vague, but it's saying don't be fucking fake, because someone's gonna see right through that shit," before launching through a tense, post-punk electronically-ethereal track ending with echoed vocals singing, "In your heart / A dead-end road."

Despite the serious amount of attention and focus their set-up must've required, the sisters were all laughs throughout the set. (Arlene pointed out, "It's that part of the tour where we're punchy.") Before leaving the stage, Angel announced, "We have 87 people in the audience we'd like to thank... Michael, Robert..." and then she cracked up and left the stage before naming the next 85.

There were some technological delays before Laetitia Sadier's set could begin, which, admittedly, was made more bearable by hearing the band converse urgently in French. (Even tech problems sound more charming in a foreign tongue.) With everything in place, Sadier smiled shyly, thanking the audience for their patience, before the band kicked into "Butter Side Up," a dreamy, waltz-like track from the Something Shines release. As the song breaks into a midway electronic dance-break, Sadier sings over and over, "We need answers," and you're reminded of the politically-charged lyrics she brought to Stereolab. (It was easy to forget the 1994 Mars Audiac Quintet single "Ping Pong" was about economic upheaval when it was just so darn fun to dance to!) There was definitely no dancing during the eerie single "Oscuridad," which was less of a song and more of Sadier speaking somberly, "Their plan is to transfer our wealth / to under their sinister wing." (The imagery in the official video helps drive her message home; see here.) Concluding the track, Sadier looked up with a grin. "Oh, good, only one person left during that one."

The group adeptly balanced the somber with the fun, like the buoyant Silencio single "Between Earth and Heaven." Sadier is touring with an incredible rhythm section, particularly her drummer Emmanuel Mario, whose fluid yet furiously-quick style had the audience in awe. The Latin-influenced beats had everyone moving. "Thank you, Seattle. You're a good dancer," Sadier said. "Was it Sun Ra who said, 'Move your ass and the rest will follow'?"

She enchanted the venue with "Release from the Centre of Your Heart," mesmerized with the gentle track "The Milk Of Human Tenderness," and had us dancing again to what she called "their hit single," "Then, I Will Love You Again." It was such a wonderful vibe at the Vera Project that night, so it was surprising when Sadier later admitted, "I didn't want to come to Seattle." She explained that the last time she played a solo show here, no one came, and there was audible gasps of disbelief from the crowd (myself included). She beamed from the stage, seeming really genuinely touched to see us there, and thanked us, for what must've been the hundredth time that evening. The next time Laetitia Sadier comes to Seattle, you can be sure we will be back.