Jose Gonzalez and yMusic at the Moore
I had been fortunate enough to catch yMusic with Ben Folds at a festival last year and when they announced their collaboration with Gonzalez I couldn’t wait for the day. I find it so acoustically enjoyable when the side of classical sounds meet the indie/rock ones. They opened the night with wonderful melodies as a prelude of what would follow with Jose. It was the first night of their tour and they were just as excited as us to be on stage sharing these arrangements.
They mentioned how influenced they were by Sufjan Stevens in forming yMusic as a 6 piece music collaboration. They played “The Bear and the Squirrel” by Jeremy Turner and ended with “Year of the Dragon”. Their sophomore album Balance Problems is a delightful treat for the ears as they marry classical sounds with modern music creating something familiar yet incredibly original.
I have been a fan of Gonzalez since the first note I heard on his remake of The Knife’s “Heartbeats”. He took the stage alone playing his acoustic guitar but having no problem mesmerizing every single person at the Moore with his soft vocals. He started with “Stay in the Shade”, and played about 5 songs before yMusic joined him onstage for the rest of the set.
He was in Seattle a couple of days prior to his performance and played a small show for KEXP to help raise funds for their new home. He told us that it reminds him of his hometown Gotheburg back in Sweden with all the rain. Their first joint song was “Crosses” which is my absolute favorite piece, hearing it with an added classical touch was a level upgrade.
They collaborated on releasing a 7″ at the shows which contains “With the Ink of a Ghost”, and “Open Book” with the added arrangements. Jose mentioned that all the pieces were reworked and arranged by Rob Moose for the tour. Their encore included “Let It Carry You”, and a upbeat tempo version of “Killing for Love” which was a lovely way to end the night. Make sure to catch this show if it’s coming near you, it’s a great way to spend your night.