Material: Camille Bloom is currently touring her excellent Pieces of Me album, so this intimate set at the wonderful Bar Lubitsch was heavily weighted toward that material. The songs all seem to be deeply personal, telling tales of both woe and glee with equal enthusiasm. The title track from the new record, for example, is a story all too familiar to most, about a relationship in-fighting. “I’m tapping out, you won this round,” she sings, before later adding, “No one will win this fight tonight.” “Zombie Song” is about society’s addiction to social media, with Bloom admitting that she’s as guilty as anyone. It’s not all stern depth, though. Toward the end of the set, she plays a cover of Johnny Cash’s “Ring of Fire,” plus a medley that includes Bon Jovi’s “Living on a Prayer.”
Musicianship: Clearly an accomplished guitarist, Bloom also sits at the house piano at one point, despite her own concerns that it was out of tune. Still, that only adds an extra melancholy edge to the gorgeous “Everywhere But Here.” Bloom does the simple things beautifully, using her instruments to frame her songs. Her voice, meanwhile, soars.
Performance: Besides a spot of foot-tapping and the occasional Elvis-style hip-twist, Bloom stands solidly at the microphone throughout the performance. This is perfectly fine, because it is exactly what the music demands. She shines in between the songs, when she throws out witty anecdotes, either to introduce the next song or simply for her own and our amusement. The fact that the audience at Bar Lubitsch was pretty thin only added to the feeling that this was a very personal performance from an artist who kind of likes it that way.
Summary: Back in 2012, Music Connection listed Camille Bloom in our “Hot 100 Live Unsigned Artists & Bands.” We clearly knew what we were talking about, because she’s still well-worth looking out for. Pieces of Me is her sixth full-length album by our reckoning, her ninth if you include EP’s, and in the 15 years since the debut Your Only Warning EP release, she has surged ahead as a songwriter, musician and singer.
The Players: Camille Bloom, vocals, guitar, piano.
Photo by Brett Callwood
Venue: Bar Lubitsch
City: West Hollywood, CA
Contact: Wendy Brynford-Jones, [email protected]
Web: hellowendy.com
Camille Bloom - "Pieces of Me"
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