Review - Zoë Keating @ the Great American Music Hall (7/30/17)

Zoë Keating (Photo: Kevin Keating)

Zoë Keating returned to San Francisco this past weekend with back-to-back performances at the Great American Music Hall on Saturday and Sunday. We were fortunate enough to catch Sunday’s show which kicked off with a half-hour panel featuring Zoë along with Sedge Thompson of West Coast Live interviewing two random audience members. Different from the typical opening act, it was a chance for Zoë to meet and learn about her fans. The first of which was a world traveller foodie who was leaving for Portland and then Asia the next morning. Various topics included worst food (Balut), wearing glasses, and the importance of traveling the world. The second audience member was involved in regenerative medicine and stem cell research and discussed the importance of raising awareness for medical research and patient options. Coincidentally, he works with musicians to help gain attention for the causes he represents.

After a short break, Zoë once again took to the stage, this time only accompanied by a pedal system, Macbook and cello — an instrument that’s become more prominent since Game of Thrones hit HBO! The stage was set as she slowly began to build the haunting “Frozen Angels” from her 2005 album, One Cello x 16: Natoma (iTunes).

Zoë Keating (Photo: Kevin Keating)

For those of you not already familiar with Zoë’s music, she’s a solo cellist who records and loops short musical phrases and percussive noises from her cello to build compositions that will quite literally make the hairs on your arms stand straight up. Her music is beautiful, hypnotic, at times dark, but always extremely emotive.

She’s long overdue for a new album, but that doesn’t mean she hasn’t been busy over the past several years. Since her last album, she’s become a mother and lost her husband to cancer; She’s also been outspoken on the challenges of the US healthcare system along with the continued morphing of the music business from downloads to streams.

Zoë Keating (Photo: Kevin Keating)

That said, Zoë unveiled 3 new tracks last night and suggested they’ll soon enter post production after the upcoming school year begins. In the meantime, you can hear one of them as a work-in-progress below.



We’ve had a busy weekend of shows that included the legendary Buddy Guy on Friday night, but Zoë’s show stood out — partially because of the withdrawal we’ve had from her last performance, but mainly because her music goes beyond the traditional norms of classical composition. Her songs resonate and connect on an emotional level not found in contemporary music, even when compared to the blues guitar of an all-time legend.

This is a can’t-miss performance if/when she plays your town; and for those of us in San Francisco, we’re lucky to have such a phenomenal talent based just across the Golden Gate bridge. Be sure to sign-up for her mailing list here to stay up-to-date on her latest news!