I know that a lot of you probably think that I'm prone to hyperbole, that my enthusiasm and nostalgia can get a bit much as I recount some of the shows that I've been to. But please believe me when I say that Lingua Ignota at The Baby G was one of the best shows I've ever seen. I'm quite serious, out of hundreds of concerts I've been to this was easily one of the Top Ten, perhaps even one of the Top Three. The intensity of performance, the raw emotion on display, the awe inspiring talent, the destruction of space between artist and audience, it all contributed to one of the most impressive concerts I've seen.
Kristin Hayter, who performs as Lingua Ignota, is a singular talent, an incredibly gifted artist who has crafted a collection of revelatory works that simultaneously challenge and connect with her audience. Her 2019 release "Caligula" is a masterpiece, an intensely exquisite album that is both powerful and sparse in it's sound, a revelation, and she was touring for this record when she played at the Baby G on September 11th 2019. I've said many times that a strong album often leads to a strong tour, and that statement is especially true for this performance.
I went to the show with my friend Ryan, one of many shows we saw together that year and another in a long list of shows we've gone to since we met. I've known Ryan for a long time, since we were kids really, and we have a shared history that's inextricably mixed with shared musical interests. That shared history is important to me, I often feel ungrounded and rootless in my life, and knowing Ryan gives me a foundation that I wouldn't have otherwise. It was Ryan's idea early in the summer that we should go to the show, which was coincidentally scheduled for his birthday and who was I to say no to that? The chance to see an amazing artist with a friend who cares as deeply about music as I do? Yeah, I'm always up for that.
We met up a little bit before the show, a chance to catch up over a drink and an opportunity to rave about the "Caligula" album some more and make guesses about what the show would bring. We got to the Baby G just in time to see openers Goth Girl and Vile Creature who both did really good sets that I quite liked. We stood in the back of the room by the bar during Vile Creature's set, and as fate would have it Hayter stood about ten feet away from us, watching them play, eating from a bright red box of Cheez Its that seemed at odds with the shadows that filled the rest of the room. We didn't want to disturb her though, you don't interrupt an artist while they're getting ready for a show, especially when they have Cheez Its in hand...
A short break followed Vile Creature, and then the Baby G was plunged into complete darkness and silence for a few moments before Hayter appeared on stage behind a plastic drop sheet, lit only by a hand held light that she carried with her offering an obscured view to the audience, stretched and elongated by shadow. It was a simple but striking effect and it made for a stunning opening, a fantastic visual paired with Hayter's powerful vocals, immediately engaging and focusing the audience's attention.
After a couple of songs she came off the stage and began playing at a keyboard that was set up on the floor level, removing the barriers between audience and performer, building greatly on the concept of the concert as shared experience, drawing us further and deeper into her work. As the show progressed Hayter moved away from the keyboard and moved through the audience, completely immersed and surrounded by us. And that experience of an artist moving through the crowd, the integration of performer and audience, it gave her performance an active connection that differed greatly in strength from other shows I've been to, a rare synergy between her and the audience that transcended the concert dynamic.
I realize that I've spent a lot of time talking about movement and light and darkness and dynamics so far without mentioning too much about the music, and that's largely due to the fact that trying to describe Lingua Ignota to others is kind of difficult, an "if you know you know" kind of situation. I mean I could say that it's a white hot burning intensity, or I could say that it's the sound of a knife cutting through the soul, or even that it's like the pain of a thousand forsaken souls simultaneously screaming for release, but while all of those things are true none of them would quite suffice, and none of them could quite capture the artistry or the dark and tragic beauty of Hayter's work. Like I said, if you know you know, and if you don't know I would recommend that you seek out a copy of "Caligula" so you can count yourself among the knowing.
Ryan and I were both stunned, amazed, and totally impressed. It was quite a show, truly a stand out among hundreds of gigs I've been to, and an especially excellent way to celebrate Ryan's birthday. I've thought fondly of it many times and in many ways since, not just as an excellent performance by an excellent artist, but also as another great memory in a lifetime of memories with a close friend. That kind of combination made for a really solid concert experience, an especially good time that'll stay with me forever. And while I very much look forward to the next opportunity I'll have to see Lingua Ignota live again, there'll always be a special place in my memory for this performance for all the best reasons...
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