By Tucker Petertil
Portland’s Vagabond Opera will bring their dramatically raucous brand of musical cabaret to town when they pay the Olympia Hotel’s Ballroom a visit January 21st.
They last played Olympia a few years ago but they have a new album and new lineup featuring six players on cello, bass, drums, saxophone, clarinet and accordion. Their ever eclectic mix of traditional folk tunes, tall tales, hot Gypsy jazz, Arabic swing, classical opera and steampunk fashion should prove to be quite a rowdy night.
The Vagabond’s leader/vocalist/accordionist Eric Stern has recently composed the opera “Queen of Knives” and played with the likes of the Decemberists, DeVotchka, Pink Martini and the Balkan Beat Box.
He took time out from their busy tour schedule to tell me a bit about the band and himself.
OP&L: How did the band come together?
Eric: Vagabond Opera’s been together for eight years now. I can’t believe it! Portland has such a vibrant music scene and it’s like a musical laboratory here. We were little musical protons and electrons finding each other.
OP&L: Is most of VO’s music original or do you interpret a lot of traditional music from around the world?
Eric: It’s mostly original but we use all the colors of the palette in our compositions, and since we have a lot of information about various forms of music we do use these forms as tools.
OP&L: How did you get the musical bug?
Eric: I grew up in Philadelphia and my parents and a group of people ran a book and record store so I had access to lots of media at a time when people usually had to buy one record at a time. I was able to sit there all day and listen to records. Philly also had and still has a great college radio station (WXPN) as well as the local NPR affiliate and there was a huge variety of music played on those stations.
OP&L: How does Steampunk figure into the VO world?
Eric: As an VISUAL aesthetic and also as a musical philosophy. That is, just as other forms from around the world are used in our music so are forms from the past. And we like that community very much.
OP&L: What do you listen to besides your own music?
Eric: Oh all sorts of things! Personally I love Arabic music, so I’ve listened to a lot of Natacha Atlas this past year. I love Jacques Brel too.
OP&L: Since completing your latest record what have you been up to?
Eric: What’s been happening is individual members have been taking time to work on their own stuff. Me and Robin Jackson (violin and saxophone and also member of March Forth marching band,) are making our own solo albums and Ashia (singer, cellist and member of Portland Cello Project and Cirque Du Soleil,) is always creating and moving her solo career forward. We are also hoping to tour Eastern Europe this Fall.
OP&L: You put out your latest record “Sing for Your Lives” this past Sept. are you starting to plan for the next one?
Eric: A new record?! No, it will be at least a couple of years. Honestly after all the hard work that goes into making an album and promoting and touring it I think we are just happy to be PLAYING again and out of our little studio cages.
Vagabond Opera will play The Olympia Ballroom on January 21 with Olympia’s Erev Rav.