The initial spark of inspiration for Eleanor Friedberger's latest solo album titled "Rebound" came from a visit to an Athens nightclub of the same name. Upon her return to our city, she had the opportunity to present us this album in a special event at the National Opera which was organized with the collaboration of the Stavros Niarchos Foundation Cultural Center.
In the first part of this event (a far cry from the last time we saw her performing in Athens at the humble Death Disco), Eleanor presented "Rebound" in its entirety accompanied by a string quartet which added a more luscious sound to her songs, opening up more possibilities in comparison to the simple, synth-based orchestrations of their recorded versions.
In the second part, it was time for Eleanor to pick up her guitar and revisit songs from the past, both from her solo career and from her time with The Fiery Furnaces. She reminded us with an acoustic version of "My Egyptian Grammar" of her first performance in Athens with the band she co-founded with her brother, while a jazzy version of "Tropical Iceland" and a rocking "Single Again" were also present in the set and among the highlights of the evening, which also included "My Mistakes", "Stare at the Sun" and "Sweetest Girl".
Eleanor's visit to the Opera was undoubtedly a unique experience and although a large portion of the audience was not familiar with her music, the event succeeded in highlighting her songwriting talent and presenting her latest record in a different, brighter light.
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| Eleanor Friedberger, live @ S.N.F.C.C. (Athens, November 26th, 2018) |
