Have you ever had an experience that you just can’t put into words? I had one of those experiences but I am going to do my best to articulate it for you. It’s been four days since my family and I crossed paths with Storm Large and her exceptionally talented band as they played flawlessly with The Phoenix Symphony. If you aren’t familiar with Storm Large, you are truly missing one of the most unique, magical and paradoxically beautiful experiences you can have on this planet.
Storm Large (if you don’t know of her already) is an unapologetic, statuesque, beautiful, bold, brash, intense, soulful, multi-talented vocalist that will take you on a journey that spans every emotion imaginable. Her powerful voice explodes into the most beautiful, mesmerizing, frequencies that instantaneously demand the focus of everyone in the room. Her vocals can be exceptionally tender and serene which I love but she can also project levels of power and clarity that are truly unique to anything I have ever heard. Storm and her band alongside The Phoenix Symphony, played many great classics like Leonard Cohen’s “Hallelujah” and Sinead O’Connor’s “Nothing Compares To You” which she sings so magically and to perfection. She also writes her own music and these artistic masterpieces are the most beautiful in my humble opinion. “Angels in Gas Stations” just makes this world a better paradigm, period. It is so sensual and sincere that you can’t help but feel her intense pain and beautiful heart. I felt so full of love while listening to her perform this song that I was moved to tears of joy. In between songs and with the orchestra playing gently in the background, Storm eloquently shares personal stories in a sexy, playful style all her own that thoroughly captivate the audience. Storm Large is hysterically funny and you may find yourself spontaneously laughing with all of your heart and soul. We sure did. At other times, she is deep and esoteric and allows the audience to gaze through the wet, dewy, cracked window of her own despair. This is the part of her that deeply influences humanity. I guarantee that you will be moved beyond measure by her beautiful soul.
We happened to be seated in the front row, only several feet from her and her talented band. It was especially amazing to feel the intensity of her soul in such close proximity. We could actually hear her voice before it went through the microphone and projected through the sound system. Her talent is so expansive and refined and her voice is so powerful that I wondered if she even needed the microphone. I will never forget the tears that streamed down her face as she sang songs that she knew would touch the souls of everyone in the audience. I don’t know if it was her own pain or her own joy of sharing so much of her beautiful soul with us that day but it is an experience that I will never forget. If you are fortunate enough to see Storm Large in person, you will be in the presence of pure love, intricately refined by two of the world’s greatest teachers, pain and triumph. It just doesn’t get any better than this.
Storm’s new album is called LE BONHEUR which is French for “Happiness”. It’s a wonderful album that can be purchased via her website at www.stormlarge.com. I’ve been exploring her music from the past which is really brilliant as well. If you have a chance to see her perform live, I trust you will enjoy the experience as much as we did.
With Love, AJ Vitaro
