A Better St. Louis. Powered by Journalism.
  • Twitter
  • Facebook
  • Print
  • Email

Fiona Apple plays the Peabody Opera House on the heels of her fourth album

In Out & About

7:49 am on Thu, 07.12.12

Do not judge a book by its cover, and definitely do not judge Fiona Apple's newest album by its title; the singer-songwriters lyrics are not as dense or painful as her newest album's title: "The Idler Wheel Is Wiser Than the Driver of the Screw and Whipping Cords Will Serve You More Than Ropes Will Ever Do."

Fiona Apple
Fiona Apple

Apple's understated, 10-track album is perhaps her best work yet, topping her three previous albums, two of which went platinum and one of which, "Extraordinary Machine," found itself in the spotlight of the growing music pirating hubbub in the early 2000s.

Apple's deep voice leads her music in her newest song, with her sometimes zany instrumental arrangements taking a backseat, at least volume wise. Still, she packs more musical variety and unexpected takes into her relatively sonically sparse tracks than most artists achieve in a life-time of albums.

Likewise, her lyrics are the stuff of singer-songwriter success; voice wavering love and anger material that neither falls into self-indulgence nor drops a wall between her and the listener.

In "Every Single Night," Apple repeats that she "just [wants] to feel everything." After three albums, she is as close as she has ever been to letting her audience feel everything with her.

Also this weekend, Off-Broadway celebrates Woody Guthrie's 100th birthday, jazz funk outfit Good 4 The Soul graces Jazz at the Bistro and free symphonic music fills Washington Universities quad.

Fiona Apple

When: 7:30 p.m. Saturday, July 14

Where: Peabody Opera House, 14th St. and Market St., St. Louis

How much: $45 - $90

Link: http://peabodyoperahouse.com/

Just One Big Soul: Woody Guthrie 100th Birthday Party

When: 8 p.m. Saturday, July 14

Where: Off Broadway, 3509 Lemp Ave., St. Louis

How much: $10 - $13

Link: http://www.offbroadwaystl.com/

En francais with Elsie Parker and the Poor People of Paris

When: 7:30 p.m. Sunday, July 15

Where: Brookings Quadrangle, Washington University, 1 Brookings Dr., St. Louis

How much: Free

Link: http://www.gatewayfestivalorchestra.org

Good 4 The Soul

When: 7:30 p.m. Friday and Saturday, July 13 and 14

Where: Jazz at the Bistro, 3536 Washington Ave., St. Louis

How much: $20 general, $10 students

Link: http://jazzstl.org/experience/artists/good-4-the-soul/

No Comments

Join The Beacon

When you register with the Beacon, you can save your searches as news alerts, rsvp for events, manage your donations and receive news and updates from the Beacon team.

Register Now

Already a Member

Getting around the new site

Take a look at our tutorials to help you get the hang of the new site.

Most Discussed Articles By Beacon Members

Conference of American nuns will mull response to Vatican charges

In Nation

7:55 am on Fri, 08.03.12

Meeting in St. Louis next week, the Leadership Conference of Women Religious will have its first opportunity as an assembled group to consider what to do after the Vatican issued a mandate for change this spring. It calls on the conference to reorganize and more strictly observe church teachings.

The 'free' Zoo

In Commentary

7:51 am on Tue, 05.22.12

When a family of four goes to the St. Louis Zoo, they can be forgiven for not knowing it will cost them $60, $72 if they park. If they can't pay, the alternative is to tell the kids they can't do what kids do at the zoo.

Featured Articles

Featured Articles

Barbecue joins the blues at this year's festival

In Out & About

2:13 am on Thu, 05.23.13

Organizers aren't trying to replace the rib fest, but music lovers will be able to find tangy sustenance as they listen to such greats as Mavis Staples (pictured), Big George Brock, Trombone Shorty, Kim Massie and Marquise Knox take the stage.

Featured Articles

Save that dirt, Howard Buffett says

In Science

11:09 am on Wed, 05.15.13

Speaking to reporters at Monsanto, Howard Buffett warned that future generations would foot the bill for irresponsible soil use. He urged leaders to address thorny issues such as malnutrition and environmental destruction.

Arch Grants winners set for debut

In InnovationSTL

11:32 am on Tue, 05.14.13

Twenty winners will split a million dollars and a wide array of professional services after this year's Arch Grants competition. Victors will also see one-on-one business mentoring in their prize package. The diverse group includes everything from biotech concerns to fashion enterprises.

Recent Articles

More Articles

Innovation and entrepreneurial activity are on the rise in St. Louis, especially in bioscience, technology and alternative energy. The Beacon's InnovationSTL section focuses on the people who are part of this wave, what they're doing and how this is shaping our future. To many St. Louisans, this wave is not yet visible. InnovationSTL aims to change that. We welcome you to share your knowledge, learn more about this vibrant trend and discuss its impact.

Featured Articles

Save that dirt, Howard Buffett says

In Science

11:09 am on Wed, 05.15.13

Speaking to reporters at Monsanto, Howard Buffett warned that future generations would foot the bill for irresponsible soil use. He urged leaders to address thorny issues such as malnutrition and environmental destruction.

Supreme Court rules unanimously for Monsanto in Roundup case

In Law Scoop

10:42 pm on Mon, 05.13.13

Vernon Bowman's challenge to Monsanto Co.'s patent on its Roundup Ready soybean seeds was billed as a David vs. Goliath contest. Goliath won and won big. The Supreme Court ruled unanimously that an Indiana soybean farmer had violated Monsanto's patent on its genetically engineered soybean seeds.

Featured Articles

The hidden link among burgers, drop-outs and tax reform

In Commentary

2:10 am on Thu, 05.23.13

You have to know your audience: McDonald's regulars don't need free-range chicken or a certain breed of beef; a second-chance high school needs personally motivated students as opposed to people ordered to attend and low-income Democrats by and large don't want a cigarette tax.

The lambs of sacrifice in chess

In On Chess

6:13 am on Wed, 05.22.13

Last week, Grandmaster Hikaru Nakamura sacrificed his crown as the King of America. He faced an individual decision to play against the best in the nation or the best on the planet. Find out what happened at that world-level tournament.

Letting perfect stand in the way of the good

In Commentary

6:12 am on Wed, 05.22.13

Our world sees rapid change in many ways -- how we view women, races, sexual minorities and other populations, for instance. While a daily delivery of new and different can be exhausting, it can force us to reflect and consider how to move forward, often incrementally, toward what is good and what bring value to our lives.

Featured Events:

More About The Beacon Home