(all photos by Keith Klenowski)
The second day of MusicNOW traditionally means that the festival is hitting its stride. The organizers stress levels are down and everyone just feels at home and in a good groove. Last night was no exception as yet another batch of great musicians took the stage at Memorial Hall in Cincinnati.

Night 2 was the only night of the three that did not sell out, but it was quite full anyway, and the lack of a few extra bodies actually made the evening much more enjoyable overall. To start the night, Bryce Dessner was back in his emcee role introducing the preformers and also explaining a bit more about what MusicNOW is about to the crowd. I have to hand it to Bryce, his vision for the festival has not changed much in its five years and hearing him explain why they do what they do was a great touch to begin the evening. For those unaware, MusicNOW is a opportunity for artists to play songs they have never played before, unveil new music and at times commission brand new pieces that have never been played before. Of course, there is more to it than that, but that certainly stands out to me.

And night two is also an evening of exploration. It’s a night when you can hear something for the first time and explore with the artists, who might be debuting their art for the first time as well.

Esme Kenney died last year during the festival and while Dessner did not know her or her family personally, losing the 13 year old girl had a profound effect on Bryce and the festival as well. He dedicated last years festivities to her memory, and this year began what will be an annual tradition, by commissioning a piece in her honor.

After Bryce explained this, yMusic took the stage for a brief set. The six piece from New York was an excellent opener for the evening and sounded flawless while on stage. Their last song was the Esme Kenney dedication, written by Annie Clark herself, who looked on from the balcony as her very first commissioned chamber piece took shape on the stage. It was a beautiful piece and really seemed to take on the personality of Clark as well. I’d expect it’s the first of many pieces she puts her stamp on.

Of course, St. Vincent herself took the stage to end the night, and had a hypnotizing effect on the crowd at Memorial Hall. If you have seen St. Vincent live before, you know she brings with her an accomplished group of musicians, and a pretty subtle but spectacular light display as well. All of this was in motion last night as well, but some of the energy she usually brings to her performance was not.

This is not to say that the performance was not excellent, because it was, but the set was mostly free of the guitar solo freakouts and louder percussion I have seen in previous St. Vincent shows. However, that is what made the set last night so good. The slightly restrained St. Vincent seemed to be respecting the historic venue and its patrons and bowing to the traditions of MusicNOW. Sure, songs like “Marrow” still kicked ass, but “The Strangers”, “Actor Out Of Work” and a few others were muted just enough to maintain that respect.

A solo cover of Jackson Browne’s “These Days” was a highlight and the set closed with a extended, dark red splashed version of “Your Lips Are Red” from Clark’s debut album.

There is something about MusicNOW and Memorial Hall that demands the respect artists are more than happy to give it, and tonight was no exception.

St. Vincent – These Days (Jackson Browne Cover / Live @ MusicNOW 2010)

**The live recording of the MP3 above is a bit rough, but hopefully gives you a taste of the evening**