By Jessica Neu
Philosopher, Kenneth Burke, tells readers to “go in where it’s strange.” This ‘easier said than done’ anecdote encourages readers, writers, and thinkers, or simply someone contemplating their own life, not to settle for what comes naturally but to enter a place of exploration that is uncomfortable or “strange.” It is within this space that growth, progress, and self-discovery can occur. It is a space where questions can be answered and where we explore to learn instead of regurgitating what is already known.
Singer-songwriter Vida Chai embodies this notion with her new EP*, “Somewhere Strange.” She performs the entire EP, plus a few additional songs, in an ethereal performance of the same name. Playing at the New Hazlett Theater October 13-14,
Chai incorporates three additional musicians. On upright bass (Dan Miller), fiddle (Gray Buchanan), and percussion (Ryan Socrates), two “mushroom” backup vocalists (Treasure Treasure and Kelsey Robinson), along with two skilled dancers choreographed by Kaila Carter. The backup singers provide lovely harmonies, while the dancers offer contemporary and lyrical choreography that opens up Chai’s lyrics into a story told with drama, emotion, and vulnerability.
Somewhere Strange is part of the New Hazlett’s CSA program, which offers five emerging local artists of any genre a unique platform to showcase their new projects. Chai was inspired when her friend showcased his work at last year’s CSA program and decided to submit Somewhere Strange for consideration. The CSA program offers these young artists access to mentors, directors, and skilled designers that they may not otherwise be able to collaborate with this early in their careers. Chai took advantage of her opportunity by creating an immersive experience with a visually calming, earthy, and inviting set. This set became an idyllic backdrop for Chai’s vocals which breezed through her EP with powerful vocals and impressive range.
Most of the EP was complete at the time of her CSA submission, as Chai recorded most of the album during the COVID-19 lockdown. However, she included one last song on the EP, “Garden,” because she felt she had not yet told her story with enough veracity or wholeness. Chai acknowledged in the Q&A session after the performance that writing this album was a therapeutic way to overcome a challenging time in her life. Listeners will indeed hear the catharsis in her songs as she expresses her pain in a clever yet vulnerable way, part Joni Mitchell and part Alanis Morrissette.
The real standout aspect of Somewhere Strange is that it presents an album in its full form, the way albums were intended to be heard in the pre-digital era. The convenience of streaming has created a musical culture of one-off singles. Except for a few major artists (Beyonce, Taylor Swift), albums are not often listened to in one entire sitting. It was refreshing to hear an artist present their work in its entirety in the way they want it to be experienced. The theater offered a more acoustically and aesthetically pleasing space than a local bar or club.
By “going in where it’s strange,” her lyrics question rather serious themes such as a woman’s role in society, the regret of staying in a toxic relationship, and even the social unrest of the last six years. However, Chai filled her experience with a sense of healing and unity. We are reminded of the power of a simple touch on the shoulder and the restorative powers of space and nature. Somewhere Strange goes in where it’s strange but comes out where it is beautiful and melancholy.
Remaing performance October 14, 2022. For tickets and more info visit: https://newhazletttheater.org/events/somewhere-strange/
*An EP is a musical recording that contains more music than a single, but less than an album.
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