On Wednesday January 14th 2009 I went to the Roma, an old cinema in Borgerhout (Antwerp) that has been converted into a multi-cultural area. Multi-cultural because it offers many cultural events for different kinds of audiences. This time it was a tribute to Tom Waits, a so-called "fantastic" programme about Tom Waits in a Late Night smoky Bar.
The musicians were Antje De Boeck (voice) - a famous Flemish actress, Jef Neve (piano) and Rony Verbiest (accordeon). Tom Waits' voice can be described as a low, raw, almost rumbling voice. Very similar to Antje De Boeck's voice, somebody must have thought. I liked the result a lot.
However, the concert started differently from what I had expected. Antje De Boeck first brought a fairy-tale about the last boy in the world. You could sense that the audience didn't really know what to do with it either, but it became clear during the performance that this little boy represented Tom Waits who has his own peculiar way of looking at the world.
Then followed some entertainment that can only be described as perfect. Top musicians Jef Neve and Rony Verbiest brought the best of Tom Waits (replacing the saxophone with an accordeon) and even if it sometimes seemed that they lacked the routine of playing together, their spontaneity and craftmenship brought emotions of the highest level.
Of course Antje De Boeck is no professional singer, but some might say that neither is Tom Waits. She brought some of his classic pieces in a very intimate style (Tom Traubert's Blues, In the Neighbourhood...) and sometimes when you closed your eyes, it really sounded like Tom Waits up there on the stage. The way she moaned, whispered, rumbled really touched the right nerve.
If you are in Belgium, try to catch their act. A list of dates and places can be found in the Tom Waits Until Spring Agenda.
The musicians were Antje De Boeck (voice) - a famous Flemish actress, Jef Neve (piano) and Rony Verbiest (accordeon). Tom Waits' voice can be described as a low, raw, almost rumbling voice. Very similar to Antje De Boeck's voice, somebody must have thought. I liked the result a lot.
However, the concert started differently from what I had expected. Antje De Boeck first brought a fairy-tale about the last boy in the world. You could sense that the audience didn't really know what to do with it either, but it became clear during the performance that this little boy represented Tom Waits who has his own peculiar way of looking at the world.
Then followed some entertainment that can only be described as perfect. Top musicians Jef Neve and Rony Verbiest brought the best of Tom Waits (replacing the saxophone with an accordeon) and even if it sometimes seemed that they lacked the routine of playing together, their spontaneity and craftmenship brought emotions of the highest level.
Of course Antje De Boeck is no professional singer, but some might say that neither is Tom Waits. She brought some of his classic pieces in a very intimate style (Tom Traubert's Blues, In the Neighbourhood...) and sometimes when you closed your eyes, it really sounded like Tom Waits up there on the stage. The way she moaned, whispered, rumbled really touched the right nerve.
If you are in Belgium, try to catch their act. A list of dates and places can be found in the Tom Waits Until Spring Agenda.
