Under the Theaters (Cool Girl)

On the day I went to record this, it was raining. Moments ago, a friend of mine had convinced me to come play here for this project, since she thought the concrete bridge overhead might create a neat effect. I liked the idea since I had recorded in a lot of outdoor spaces due to the nature of COVID-19, and the fact that the campus was in a quiet period, meaning indoor spaces were a lot less accessible. Between these two buildings was a liminal space, somewhere between inside and out. Plus, I thought the rain on the gravel would be a nice dramatic effect.

"Cool Girl" by dodie is a song that just came out this year, and I can't say i've listened to it too much at Kenyon, but in the context of being just outside an actual performance space, not quite allowed in but not quite kept out, I think it works. The song is about putting on a show for someone, being quiet and easy to be with so that they "choose" you in a sense. The lyrics sound like an audition for the role of a friend -- or maybe more -- and a reminder of the character the artist is playing. Between two theaters, not actually inside of either of them, seemed like the perfect place for a song like this.

It's a little strange to imagine a concert just outside of a theater, a much more conventional space for a performance, but I think it's more accessible for bands and solo artists, especially smaller ones, than the theater. You can be a little more impromptu about it. You don't have to request the space months in advance and plan a date just to have a space to play. I noticed my voice sounding a lot more spread out here, while my ukulele sounded more concentrated and full. There's a small echo, some of which you can hear during the louder parts of my recording, but you have to either play loudly, or listen closely. Maybe performing here would encourage an audience or an artist to do the same.