Ulrich Schnauss kicked off the River to River Concert Series here in NYC last night with a phenomenal show which was played in the Winter Garden at the World Financial Center.

What made this show so spectacular were a few things. First off was the venue. The Winter Garden was nearly completely destroyed on 9/11, but has since been restored. It’s a glass enclosed space with, of all things, palm trees inside. It’s high vaulted glass ceiling was a great setting for a nearly ethereal show.

Second was the music. Theremin player Dorit Chrysler opened for Ulrich backed by video artist Chiaki Watanabe who projected images onto the backing screen. If you’ve never heard or seen a theremin played, it’s otherworldly. That’s often why you’ll hear the theremin in old scary movies or when alien ships arrive. Think Mars Attacks! And playing it, Dorit often seemed entranced or possessed with hand movements and gestures both subtle and flailing. Wonderful beginning.

Third was Ulrich himself. His music is hard to describe. A combination of machine music and classic shoegaze, his tunes often remind me of a waterfall of sonic wonder, layer upon layer that could easily sound like chaos, but somehow manages to transport the listener somewhere else. It’s as if the rain starts slowly and then becomes a deluge. If you haven’t heard him, check out his albums. Great works.

So as the concert progressed and the sun finally slipped away into the night, I wanted to have a nice spot of grass or sand to lie upon and gaze at the projected imagery and listen to the encompassing vast aural landscape. There were times the space and music were so inviting to just get up and run around and dance. There was one guy I saw who was by a column and definitely letting the music take over. He had some moves. That or he needed an exorcism. Nice. Definitely a concert for the books.

I’ve posted another video and some images on Flickr.