Kiki & Herb, the sensational renegade cabaret act that broke up for 8 years before reuniting briefly in 2016, make the kind of entertainment that glues itself to your brain’s pleasure points. Nowhere near ordinary, and delightfully unpredictable, they’re everything they claim to be; subversive, boldly aggressive and gloriously original. The Stage Network, an arts focused streaming service, has kindly added this mind snapping pair to its digital offering with the 2007 DVD recording, Kiki & Herb at the Knitting Factory.
All about thrilling an audience by grabbing it by its metaphorical throat and feeding it material that’s equal parts meaty, sublime and raw; Kiki & Herb at the Knitting Factory is like a luxuriously addictive assault. During their heyday a decade or so ago, they were so good they ended up with a Tony nomination after they did a stint on Broadway.
Calling their Knitting Factory gig, The Year of Magical Drinking, happy water flows briskly throughout the 1½ hour show; and mostly onstage while Kiki regaled the loudly enthusiastic crowd with song and stories. Oh, what songs. What spectacular stories. If you’ve ever had that friend who knows everybody, lives with abandon, is the center of any circle and is completely comfortable in her own skin, you know Kiki. And, according to her, she’s been around since 12 or 13 BC and done as much as she’s seen. Those stories of hers back her up. Kiki’s not just colorful, she’s electrifying.
And a little imposing. Dressed in a black sleeveless cocktail dress with what may as well be a trademark bow sitting high over the right side of her brow, she’s what you would call mature glamorous and carries a sophistication that’s been liberally cultivated from wilder side of life. It’s becoming, as are the stylish black streaks both she and Herb sport that mimic facial creases. There’s a baroque elegance about the look.
Many of the songs sound as original as the stories. Supporting each other like old friends; they have the feel of being meant for each other and are dynamite as a team. You can’t always tell if the song is going to lead into a story or the other way around. All the audience wants is for the party to keep rolling. Loaded with honesty and substance and humor so hot that its scorching, by the time they get to one of the show’s marquee songs, You’re Ugly, your mind has settled into a state of incredulous bliss.
What may sound blasphemous turns out to be anything but and through the prism of Kiki’s astute mind, what some call conventional wisdom can have more grounded interpretations. Kiki and Herb excavate the truth like outsiders on a mission. It’s reassuring to know so many appreciate their singular voice.
Herb, on the piano, turns out to be much more than just the supplier of a melodious backdrop. With his superb keyboard talent, he can go from frighteningly riotous to ethereal calm in an instant. He’s also the subject of many of Kiki’s revealing tales; and always willing and able to interject as needed to keep Kiki on the up and up. Cathartic and marvelous, together they’re the perfect cure to the static quiet filling too many of our days.
Kiki & Herb at the Knitting Factory
The Stage Network
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https://www.watchstage.com/programs/kiki-herb-live-at-the-knitting-factory
