Swedish indie folk singer-songwriter and guitarist José González delivered an exceptional performance with New York City’s yMusic Wednesday night at The Kimmel Center’s Verizon Hall. González is popular for his down-tuned guitar style and emotional, poetic lyrics.
A chamber music ensemble, YMusic pride themselves on their avant-garde compositions. The group is comprised of six classically trained instrumentalists who fuse pop and classical music into a sound that is sure to give you chills. Made up of a string trio, trumpet, clarinet, and flute, yMusic opened for José and artfully showcased their range of talent. NPR’s Fred Child defined the act as “one of the groups that has really helped to shape the future of classical music.” In the past, they have worked with artists such as Bon Iver, Ben Folds, and The National. The addition of their unique sound to José’s music was eloquent, to say the least.
After yMusic’s half hour opening set, González came on stage to a packed house. He started off the night solo, fingerpicking his guitar and soothing the audience with his soft melodies. It sounded as if he was singing a lullaby to the crowd as they listened, in awe of his subtly powerful vocals. After a six song solo set, yMusic joined the acclaimed musician on stage, reframing José’s melodies and adding intensity to the artists mellow songs. yMusic complemented José’s sound, accentuating his soft vocals.
Of the collaboration, González said; “After a year of touring with a band focused on percussion and vocals, I look forward to playing many of the same songs in a different style. I love their setup and taste in arrangements, being six super talented musicians.” Notable songs from the evening included “Crosses,” “Every Age,” “Open Book,” and his immensely popular cover of The Knife’s “Heartbeats,” his most played song on Spotify, which has racked up an astounding 115,600,000+ listens.
José González and yMusic first performed together at the Lincoln Center Out of Doors Festival, and we can only hope to see this collaboration again in the future.
The month-long U.S. tour will conclude this Saturday in Washington D.C. For more information on José González and his music, click here.
It sounded as if he was singing a lullaby to the crowd as they listened, in awe of his subtly powerful vocals.