Teaadora Nikolova Mansion Show

This blog is quickly becoming the Teaadora Nikolova blog. Last Friday, I attended college radio station WESN 88.1 FM’s meet and greet, which featured a performance by Teaadora Nikolova. There was a great deal of beardos there, which pleased me. I often lament the loss of Teaadora’s epic beard but I guess it wouldn’t make since for him to have a beard. Oh well.

Attendance for this event was invitation only and strictly limited to only those with the coolest beards. The show occurred in a dead lady’s mansion, which really suited Teaador’s drone atmospherics.

Someone from the station had ironically supplied a cookie cake with balloons, knock off Doritos chips, and a jug of blue drink of questionable quality. A wise decision though I spilled some blue drink in my beard that did not want to come out.

Teaadora began to play without any introduction; he started with a new one that I had not heard before. He played probably four new songs, which in contrast with his earlier material were perhaps more accessible. Certainly not a mainstream accessibility but the songs had a lot more clean guitar and was a bit more up beat and less drone.

Granted to describe Teaadora’s music as drone is certainly a misnomer, this is nothing like SunnO))), but live it has that affect. Most of his songs build on repeated motifs that are later dissected to play with the audience’s expectations. In turn, these motifs lure the listener into a subdued state of consciousness. Friday’s show also featured Bandura Rotter/ No Mas Ahora played casio organ, which the simple notes he played helped to add to the droning qualities of Teaadora’s music and further led to the listener’s increasing altered state of consciousness.

In terms of old songs, that I can remember, he played the “What’s What This Conversation” song; he just gave me some titles so I should probably learn them, and the “Don’t Expect Perfect Love” song which I love both of. The last one in particular I find to be the one that has the most prominent effect on me. Even with such sparse lyrics, what there is along with his gentle guitar can make me think about every girl I’ve ever been with and all the sadness that has been wrenched out of those sordid relationships.

As the tears streaming down my face washed the blue out of my beard I felt overjoyed that I was with my bearded brethren and getting to see Teaadora again so soon.

Rumor has it that Teaadora Nikolova, and guests, will be appearing on something called Big Jim’s Jams Februrary 1 from 10 to midnight. Listen at http://www.wesn.org/.