Beth Orton
Aladdin Theater
3017 S.E. Milwaukie
Tonight – Sold out
Beth Orton’s music serves as a soundtrack for that space between dreams and reality. You know you’re dreaming, and the alarm clock’s ringing, but you’re not quite ready to leave your dreamy state of consciousness.
Orton’s music appeals to everyone from neo-folkies to indie rock hipsters to post-rave clubbers, and it’s easy to discover why. Her sultry vocals and eloquent delivery (combined with some fine production) blend classic songwriting with minimal electronics. It’s catchy and memorable without becoming simple pop. Her list of admirers and collaborators reflects this, as Orton has worked with artists as diverse as jazz-folk legend Terry Callier, big-beat instigators Chemical Brothers and downbeat jazz mutants Red Snapper.
After singles with the Chemical Brothers on their behemoth Exit Planet Dust album and on Red Snapper’s first singles “Snapper” and “In Deep,” she formed a band and issued her first album, Trailer Park, which featured the soon-to-be classic “She Cries Your Name.” Other epiphanic moments include “Touch Me With Your Love” and a soul-searing cover of The Ronettes’ “I Wish I Never Saw The Sunshine.”
Her second release, Central Reservation, came out in 1999 and showed a more reflective, more mature Orton, fresh from the experiences of touring and writing after the success of her debut. The disc featured the talents of artists such as Dr. John, Ben Harper and her personal hero Callier. It was a breakout success that established her both in her native U.K. and stateside, and gained her the diverse and loyal following which she has now.
It’s now a couple years later, and Orton has just embarked on a U.S. tour which will take her across the country in support of her upcoming album, Daybreaker, to be released July 30 on Heavenly/Astralwerks. It features old cohorts Chemical Brothers, William Orbit, Ben Watt and Victor Van Vugt, as well as work with Ryan Adams, whom she has compared to “an imaginary friend from childhood come to life.”
With Portland being only the third date on her tour, those lucky enough to be present tonight at the Aladdin will get an early taste of what Orton has been dreaming these past couple years, and maybe things she hasn’t even dreamed about yet. We’re ready to go with you, Beth, so take us away.