In an interview with NPR Music, Nguyen delivered this statement of intent with the ‘Meticulous Bird’ video:
“The heart of this song is in the reclamation of the body. I wrote it for survivors of sexual violence in particular, and those who resist the abuse of power in general.
The benefit of making the video for a song after almost a year of performing it live is that it has developed its own life and its own relationships to listeners. Such evolutions of the song were incorporated into the video. A sign of reclaiming the body is to be free in it. I’ve danced a lot more than I expected while performing ‘Meticulous Bird’ onstage, that’s why I wanted to dance in the video. I’ve never performed it live in a purple paisley jumpsuit but the jumpsuit is part of the being free. I’ve never had such an emotive outlet via song as I have in this one — that is demonstrated in my straight-to-camera moments.
Director Jonny Look gave me the opportunity to present the song in all its facets: the darkness, the dark humor, the unfettered anger and the complexities of moving on from violation and how the memory of trespass rises to the fore and then recedes into the every day.
Never have I felt more energized or connected or grateful onstage than in the performance of this song. I have loved nothing more, nor have I ever felt more honored, than to share very raw and heartfelt moments with people to whom this song has meant something.
My ongoing hope for ‘Meticulous Bird’ is that a survivor of any kind would hear it and want to use it: to celebrate their sovereignty, to remind themselves of their power, to warn those who would exploit the vulnerabilities of others that such trespasses against the humanity of one or many will never go unanswered. My updated and amended hope for ‘Meticulous Bird’ is that it is just one contribution of an endless many in the efforts to resist and to notify whoever needs notifying: you have no idea how ferocious we can and will be.”
Accompanying the release of this video, Thao & The Get Down Stay Down will be selling a limited edition t-shirt, with all proceeds going to Planned Parenthood. The t-shirt was designed by Thao, and will be available for 3 days only, starting today. Get it HERE.
A Man Alive was recorded at Tiny Telephone Studios in San Francisco and was produced by Merrill Garbus of tUnE-yArDs. It came out on March 4th, 2016, via Ribbon Music.
Thao & The Get Down Stay Down will be performing the below dates in March and April. All shows below are solo shows featuring Thao Nguyen, with the exception of Lightning In A Bottle Festival in May.
All tickets available via the Thao & The Get Down Stay Down website.
THAO & THE GET DOWN STAY DOWN TOUR DATES
Mon March 13 || Seattle, WA || Triple Door
Tues March 14 || Portland, OR || Mississippi Studios
Wed March 15 || San Francisco, CA || The Chapel
Thurs March 16 || Sonoma, CA || The Old Redwood
Fri March 17 || Los Angeles, CA || The Masonic Lodge
Wed March 29 || Brooklyn, NY || The Bell House
Thurs March 30 || Holyoke, MA || Gateway City Arts
Fri March 31 || Cambridge, MA || The Sinclair
Sat April 1 || Philadelphia, PA || Johnny Brenda’s
Sun April 2 || Washington, DC || Rock & Roll Hotel
Tues April 4 || Chicago, IL || Lincoln Hall
Wed April 5 || Minneapolis, MN || Cedar Cultural Center
Thurs April 6 || Denver, CO || Larimer Lounge
May 24-29 || Bradley, CA || Lightning In A Bottle Festival
WEBSITE || TWITTER || FACEBOOK
For more information, please contact
Krista Williams or Carla Sacks at Sacks & Co., 212.741.1000.,
krista@sacksco.com or carla@sacksco.com.
