James Blake at SXSW

NPR did a video stream of James Blake's performance last night and the quality was surprisingly good. You can watch it here. He played:

Unluck

Limit To Your Love

Klavierwerke

Lindesfarne II

The Wilhelm Scream

To Care (Like You)

Now most people tend to either love or hate his music and Blake's unique style. Somehow I ended up in the middle. At times I love this record, and I've always loved "The Wilhelm Scream" since the first time I heard it. But when those moments pass, I hate how the songs feel like they end with a question mark. Is it really over, or did the loop just end kind of question mark. I get impatient and want to push the song forward. The slowness is like molasses and there are plenty of times when I'd prefer not to be stuck in it. However, last night the game was changed. I loved his performance, his command of the crowd, the way his songs hung in the air. Before he went on the NPR people were worried about how he was going to pull off playing in a rock setting with an inebriated crowd before him. But it worked. His performance with his two other band members was captivating. I still don't know if I'd want to stand in a crowd to see him, but this stream is really something.  

James Blake - The Wilhelm Scream (Live at the BBC)