Springtime Carnivore at Lincoln Hall
If there could be a human form of sunshine, it would be Greta Morgan. The radiant, golden-haired Chicago native, known for her active and beaming presence in The Hush Sound and Gold Motel, has a new project under her belt, and it could not reflect her effervescent hues more. Veritably, Springtime Carnivore could not be a better fit, especially since Morgan now lives in Los Angeles. Morgan and her band performed Friday night at Lincoln Hall and opened up for The Dodos.
Morgan doesn’t need to wear glittery tops to brighten her appearance, as she has a natural scintillation that competes with the sun, anyway. However, the addition of such, simply assures those in her presence that they’ll be transported to a paradisiacal place not only by her aura, but tunes, as well. In fact, one member of the audience seemed particularly sun-kissed during her set; he yelled “YEAH!” continuously in the same mildly exasperated, yet enthusiastic timbre, only once breaking up the monotony with a “Do it again!,” which lead Morgan to preparedly ask with stupor, “Is Groundhog Day your favorite movie?” This relentless burst, accompanied by laughter from the surrounding audience members, undoubtedly triggered Morgan to eventually exclaim, “I love Chicago people!”
Her gratitude for the crowd matched her glistening disposition, as she thanked them infinitely and even reveled in their reciprocated enthusiasm with a “Holy shit! This is cool!”
Those who have seen Morgan perform before know she has an irresistible skill for playing the keys, but Springtime Carnivore features her more underrated, yet equally top-notched ability, to rock on a guitar. Along with this, Morgan also shared several stories, including meeting Bill Nye and his interest in partying with the young folks and the synchronicity in how just before leaving for tour, she had discussed British actor Bill Nighy with her drummer (who was under the impression that the aforementioned was just a “Bill Nye-esque type character,” rather than a real person). Another she explained after performing a song called “Collectors,” where the chorus states, “We’ll tally up the parts of our love; it’s getting heavy, heavy. The more we collect, the slower our steps; trying to keep it steady.” This is relevant because the shares experience dealt with a performance for Ogilvie earlier in the day. Morgan reflected, “I asked, ‘Oh, who are your clients?,’ thinking this could make for interesting conversation. They said Depends and Huggies.” Based on that newfound information and those lyrics, performing “Collectors” took that song to an entirely new level, and it caused Morgan to laugh to tears as she explained it all so lightheartedly. What more could you ask for in a performance?
Morgan manifests showmanship in the purest and effulgent form, not to mention the tenderhearted tendency to instill a shimmer onto an audience that can stick with them infinitely. The next time there’s a hovering gloom in the atmosphere, blast Springtime Carnivore, and it will turn that catatonia into a Technicolor spectrum embossed in a gold mine. Visit the Springtime Carnivore website for a listen.
