Suoni Per Il Popolo – Little Scream at BreakGlass Studios

Little Scream @ Breakglass Studios
Friday, June 12^th 2014

Only after journeying to a rather industrial area of Montreal, climbing three sets of stairs, traveling down a stark white hallway, all while peering around to find the clandestine dark doorway, can one find the mythical Breakglass studios.

As if discovering the key to an exclusive box of suggested treasure, Little Scream’s show at Breakglass studios was only privy to 50 people. For the many who were not present, the show was filmed and live streamed for all eyes/ears to see/hear. This element of cyber voyeurism further added to the layers of experience.

Little Scream, or Laurel Sprengelmeyer, stood in front of the small crowd and cameras, wide-eyed and conscious of the many watching. She cooed richly, soothing the audience into reverie. Her large backing band was an alternating group of individuals; harmonizing alongside her, adding slick drum beats, bass, and using the keyboards to further underline her unique voice. She was pleasant and lively in front of the cameras and audience who lurked in close proximity. The studio was hot, the lights beat down on Little Scream, but she was calm and collected. Delighted, she mentioned a friend had made her jumpsuit specifically for her.

What made this show so special was its intimacy, hearing each sound so precisely, feeling each sound so personally. Before playing “The Heron and the Fox” from The Golden Record, Little Scream told us the story of how literal the lyrics actually are, following with the story of how she wrote it. “Amahl” was haunting and delicate, her voice floating and hushed, the backing vocalist following her lead to the utmost accuracy. “Your Radio” was sultry, transporting the audience to an outdoor field, a summer wind, the countryside. Cannons was clever and devious, causing some involuntary movement from the in-studio audience.

At one point, Little Scream said hello to her sister and her family who were watching in their living rooms at home. In this moment, it was evident that this was not just an exceptional performance, but an emotional encounter for the audience. Little Scream felt the intimacy too, as if playing to her family in their living room. For all those watching eyes and listening ears, the show was just as her moniker: a beautiful paradox.