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Elizabeth
and The Catapult
Joe’s Pub
June 11, 2009
Written By Ben Wood
Photographed By Amy Davidson
Opposite Photo:
Elizabeth Ziman
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Xylofolks
The show at Joe's Pub starts out bizarrely with
folk/novelty act the Xylofolks, far too talented
a band to still be performing in full-body costume.
Known only to the audience by their personae, the
four-man (or four-muppet) rhythm combo exhibited
a near-Olympic skill on the vibes ("Skunky"),
banjo ("Chicken"), bass ("Big Dog"),
and percussion ("'Blue' Monster"). But
for their strange stage antics between songs --
giving away cupcakes for correct trivia answers
-- and the unnecessary barrier of their alter egos,
the Xylofolks would be an act worth headlining themselves.
Elizabeth Ziman of Elizabeth
and The Catapult
Main act Elizabeth and The Catapult has come farther
recently and as a result has smoothed out more rough
edges. Even though their orchestra has near seven
to ten highly proficient instrumentalists (at anyone
time), Elizabeth kicks off with the front-woman
herself, Elizabeth Ziman, and only a lone rhythm
guitar backing her up. This may or not have been
Pete Lalish, the only guitarist credited in Catapult
press (along with Ziman and the "third"
member of their "trio," drummer Danny
Molad.)
Elizabeth and The Catapult
The show is Ziman's to carry, and carry it she
does, with a clear, crystalline voice; smooth and
agile without any of the artifice or indulgences
of her contemporaries. Her presence is intimate
from a distance, and with a keen sense of artistry
guiding her compositions, Ziman is the ringmaster
of a constantly filling stage. They added bass and
drums for the second song, "Raniest Day of
Summer," and even with the rest of the gang
joining them for the rest of the 90-minute set,
Ziman remains the anchor and centerpiece. All other
bodies orbit around her.
Elizabeth Ziman of Elizabeth
and The Catapult
The crowd is no exception. They instantly come
alive for her, and they stay alive. They so immediately
recognize the next ditty it comes across more as
a cult following than a loyal local fan base. "Perfectly
Perfect" is a quirky, irreverent, circusy song
peppered with angst, and hints a bit at Catapult's
roots in hipster pop. It is a rare glimpse of the
early work and quickly forgivable.
The show wakes up as she steps away from the piano
and leans into the mic, leading the crowd in a none-too-simple
clapping pattern. Ziman seems to control them, perhaps
half by seduction: she's easily as cute as her voice
is playful. She implores the sound guy to "give
the mic balls," to the vast delight of her
audience and when, back at the piano, an overzealous
lighting guy drenches the band in a weird teal light,
she takes it in stride, ad-libbing in a beautiful
cooing melody, "I am under blue lights and
I think I like it..." It drives them wild.
Her set includes a vocoder that, while less integral
to the music than Imogen Heap's, is part of a larger
picture of a vastly talented group. Seemingly interested,
at this point, in flexing their creativity to the
extent of its range, Elizabeth and the Catapult
round out the show with: an a cappella spiritual
featuring guest artist Jeff Taylor, "Happy
Birthday" played on ukulele; a ballad called
"Dreamcatcher" featuring a trumpet (Kimi
Mongello according to the group's Myspace page);
and a belty tune maybe aimed at the pop charts.
Ziman calls the full band back for the finale "Everybody
Knows," and gets the Xylofolks out for the
encore: a folksy children's tune and a slow, dreamy
cover of "Coconut" which was recently
honored by NY Magazine and is now featured on the
band's website, http://www.elizabethandthecatapult.com/
While so much of the performance feels aimed at
a group this reporter doesn't belong to, with insider
references, in-jokes, pet names, and a dear rapport
with those already enrolled, one still feels fortunate
for now to be enjoying the spectacle in such a small
venue as Joe's Pub. Indeed, the house is the minus
in the Catapult equation, with a floor crew as dim
as dining room, in a by-now stale dinner theater
format built to feed a crowd and then turn them
over for the next show. It is a venue that Elizabeth
shouldn't have to repeat, merely a rest stop on
the road to certain stardom.
http://www.elizabethandthecatapult.com/
http://www.myspace.com/elizabethandthecatapult
http://videogum.com/archives/caught-on-tape/the-xylofolks-make-begging-loo_064501.html
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