Rufus Wainwright
Rufus Wainwright, the brilliant singer/songwriter, plays Vicar Street on Tuesday, the 17th of May.
There are not to many of them about but Rufus Wainwright is a modern day musician with real star quality. In the last decade rock music has thrown up such wonderful musical talents as Jeff Buckley, Radiohead, Gillian Welch and Elliot Smith and Wainwright stands among them with his sophisticated brand of music that blends the worlds of rock, opera, Tin Pan Alley and cabaret.
Rufus Wainwright was born in 1973, the son of folk music legends, Loudin Wainwright III and Kate McGarrigle. His early years were overshadowed by the fraught relationship between his father and mother who eventually parted company when Wainwright was still a boy.
Wainwright was raised by his mother in Montreal and began studying piano at the age of six. By the time he was thirteen, he was touring with his mother, aunt Anna and his sister Martha in a group billed as the McGarrigle Sisters and Family. Wainwright came out as a homosexual in his teens and developed a fascination for opera, Edith Piaf and Judy Garland.
After a brief spell at Montreal's McGill University studying classical music, he began to start playing his own compositions on the Montreal club circuit. DreamWorks signed him on the strength of the demos and Wainwright showcased his prodigious talents on his debut album, Rufus Wainwright. Released in 1998, the album featured contributions from Van Dyke Parks and was very well received critically.
Poses, Wainwright's second album, is the record where his musical vision began to reap spectacular results. Poses sound has a lavish, chamber music feel, with beautiful layered vocals and exotic, undulating rhythms on such brilliant songs as "Greek Song", "Poses" and "Cigarettes and Chocolate Milk".
Want One released in 2003 features brilliant compositions such as "I Don't Know What It Is", "Vicious World" and "Vibrate". The man excels singing to his own piano accompaniment on torch songs such as "Pretty Things" or loud, big band stompers like "Movies of Myself".
Want One was the first instalment of two albums and the accompanying album, Want Two was released this March. Although, Want 2 is receiving brilliant reviews, it is not as compelling as Wainwright's two previous albums. It works as a very nice companion piece to Want Two and features infectious songs like "The Art Teacher" and "Hometown Waltz".
If you go to one concert this year make it Rufus Wainwright at Vicar Street on the 17th.
Rufus Wainwright
Vicar Street
Buy Tickets
Time: 8pm
Tickets: €31
Tickets are available from Ticketmaster outlet, www.ticketmaster.ie.
Vicar Street,
58-59 Thomas Street,
Dublin 8.
Tel: +353 (0) 1 4546656
