Five Things You Need To Know About Seeing Meg Myers Live

Ever since I first heard Make A Shadow, which I ranked as my favorite EP of 2014, I’ve been a huge fan of Meg Myers’ work. Her current LP, Sorry, has made my appreciation of her music even stronger, so when I saw Myers’ tour was scheduled hit Webster Hall in NYC on Friday the 13th, I knew I had to be there.

After checking out her hour-long set, here’s what I found out about seeing Meg Myers live...

1. Her music crosses generations

One of the first things I noticed about the crowd at Webster Hall was the unusually wide age range. There were folks like me, in their 30s, and even a handful who were older, alongside teenagers who had their hands clearly marked so the bartenders knew not to serve them. The reason Myers’ music crosses generations like this is because while it’s decidedly modern rock, there are elements of it that will remind older listeners of what they loved about some of the great female fronted rock acts of the 90s, like The Breeders, and Hole. With Myers, younger listeners are getting their first taste of a truly powerful woman in rock, while older listeners are appreciating the legacy she’s carrying on.

2. From sweet to screaming, she hits all the notes

If you’ve listened to Myers’ music, you know her range goes from sweet to screaming. The latter can be especially difficult to pull off while doing a full tour. That said, not only did Myers perform all of her songs that have screams, she closed with “Heart Heart Head,” which climaxes with her repeatedly belting out the line, “you’re in my heart, in my heart, in my head” with an extreme level of intensity. Closing with that particular song, which also proved to be a fan favorite, was the exclamation point of a performance where she made every song a memorable one.

3. She really feels the music

Some artists sing their songs, others perform them. Myers definitively falls into the latter category, as she jumps, writhes, and essentially lets the music take control of her body while on stage. During the times when she wasn’t singing, there wasn’t a moment she was standing still. There was a genuineness about it, as well. It wasn’t an act. She was letting the music, and her emotions, take over. It was downright captivating.

Her facial expressions are also impressive, as she can get a truly psychotic look in her eyes, giving the impression that she may kill you, but there’s a pretty good chance you’re going to enjoy what goes on right beforehand, so it might be worth the risk. (Did I just accidentally reveal something about my taste in women right there?)

4. Interaction is still a work in progress

Midway through Myers’ set I felt like the only thing missing from the night was some storytelling, or crowd interaction. I’ve always been a big fan of artists either talking about their songs, or playing with the crowd. Right around the time I was wondering if we were going to get any of that, Myers said that people have told her she needs to talk more during her sets. You can add me to the list of people who feel that way.

Myers has really intense, personal, music. Fans connecting with it means fans are connecting with her. I understand the concept of letting the music speak for itself, but anything that adds to that connection is a beautiful thing.

5. If there isn’t a Tumblr dedicated to her legs, there should be

Yeah yeah, I know I may catch flak from a few folks for writing this, but there’s a reason she wears a long shirt, and short shorts, and it isn’t because the venues have a/c issues. In the immortal words of ZZ Top, she’s got legs, she knows how to use them. Normally I’m pretty Seinfeldian when it comes to legs (“Why would I be a leg man? I don’t need legs. I have legs.”), but in Myers’ case... DAMN!

* Final Verdict

Whether you’re 17, or 37, if you appreciate women who kick ass, you’re going to want to see Meg Myers live. If you aren’t already a fan, you’ll leave as one, and if you are already a fan, seeing her live will add another dimension to the way you feel about her music.