Kishi Bashi

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Born in Seattle, raised in Norfolk, Virginia, and currently based in Athens, Georgia, Kishi Bashi is a well-traveled guy. So it makes sense that his music is just as restless, combining elements of contemporary indie rock with flourishes of orchestral instrumentation. His eclectic sound, honed with his band Jupiter One, has won him fans the world over and led to gigs playing with Of Montreal and Regina Spektor. He released Sonderlust in 2016. With Tall Tall Trees.

$17 ($15 adv.; ages 18+). Doors 7 pm. Presented by Majestic Live & True Endeavors.

press release: Kishi Bashi is the pseudonym for violin virtuoso K Ishibashi. Having recorded, toured, and collaborated with diverse artists such as Regina Spektor, Sondre Lerche, and of Montreal, Kishi Bashi released his first full-length album "151a" via Joyful Noise in 2012, which received high praise and the title of NPR's "Best New Artist Of The Year". K's follow-up album "Lighght" expanded his palette to include more diverse and nuanced instrumentation, flirting with Eastern-tinged arrangements, Philip Glass inspired improvisations, and '70s prog.

Kishi Bashi's third studio album, "Sonderlust", is an album forged through heartbreak. After his two previous albums, Kishi Bashi was at a musical impasse. "As I sat down to write songs last summer, I went to all my usual conduits of creation: violin loops, guitar, piano, and I came up with the musical equivalent of fumes", says K Ishibashi. "I tried to create orchestral pop recordings that I assumed were my forte, and in turn I found myself standing in front of a creative wall of frightening heights."

At this very same moment of musical uncertainty, K’s personal life was falling apart... He and his wife of 13 years had briefly separated and were struggling to keep their marriage together. In his own words, "Touring and its accompanying lifestyle took a heavy toll on my soul and my family".  As an outlet, K submerged himself in a new musical direction. "Sonderlust" emerged as a direct result of this personal struggle taking place at an artistic crossroads.

With the help of producer Chris Taylor (Grizzly Bear), engineer Pat Dillet (Angelique Kidjo, David Byrne) and drummer Matt Chamberlain (Morrissey, Fiona Apple, of Montreal), Kishi Bashi has created his most personal and artistically adventurous work to date. "This album is straight from my soul. I questioned everything about what it means to love and desire. The difference between loving someone and being in love."

"Every step of the way, Ishibashi exudes swoony romantic yearning that pairs nicely with a searching, empathetic quality worthy of Sonderlust's title."

- NPR

"Sonderlust is a dazzling listen that will likely again draw attention from the singer's under-recognized vocal performances, one compromise he's probably happy to indulge."

- All Music

"By grounding the album in the duality of love's joy and pain, and the ultimately ephemeral nature of both, Kishi Bashi achieves something close to transcendence."

- Slant