I hadn’t been to the venue in a few years, but after browsing a recent amNY article about an alternative/folk singer, my interest was piqued. Will Knox, a British transplant who now resides in Brooklyn, became disenchanted by the fact that physical art has lost its prominence in music. Since the advent of digital downloads, the need for album art is almost nonexistent. And while digital booklets available on iTunes offer fans a one-dimensional version of traditional liner notes, there is something to be said of holding a fantastic record sleeve or imaginative CD booklet in your hands.
With that in mind, Knox created a comic book to accompany his latest EP Lexicon. The book, illustrated by Robin Ha, details the tragic story of a man overcoming life’s hurdles. It is with this effort that Knox aims to reconnect the long-standing relationship between music and art.
Knox began his performance at Rockwood with the song “Belly of the Beast,” off The Matador & The Acrobat, which was inspired by living in New York. We were given a glimpse into his jovial manor throughout the hour-long set, when he cheerfully exclaimed, “I really like writing songs, which is very convenient when you’re a songwriter.”
He then transitioned into “Footprints on the Moon,” which exemplified the clear, velvety quality of Knox’s vocals. He proved the strength of his voice by, what I can only describe as, yodeling in a few songs, most notably in Lexicon’s brilliant “Ice Capades.”
His third selection off The Matador & The Acrobat was “Buckled Knees.” During the show, Knox declared his dissatisfaction with L.A., a feeling he partially attributed to the fact that he doesn’t know how to drive, and one he details in this tune. Due to the acoustic nature of the set, we couldn’t experience the fleshed out version of the song, which boasts a banjo and a fiddle. However, his tongue-in-cheek lyrics - “On my way to join the circus that they call Hell A … I’m as empty as the pockets of my skin-tight jeans” - filled that void.
Accompanying the set was drummer Timur Yussef, who sat unassumingly in a corner off the bite-size stage and carried each song with his skillful use of mallets and brushes.
Ari Herstand joined Knox and Yussef on stage for the beautiful love song “The Ship and the Storm,” playing trumpet, and “Cog in the Machine,” playing piano. Before performing “Cog in the Machine,” the singer let us in on a secret of his. “I miss having long hair,” he explained, “there’s so many things you can do with long hair, like ponytails … well, I guess that’s about it actually.” Corny as it sounds, it was a humorous intro to a song that resonated with almost everyone present - a song about being unhappy with your job. Unfortunate as it may be, many of us find ourselves as cogs in a machine. It is also worth noting that the song’s video deserves a look. While Knox sings, his now regretful haircut is documented in reverse.
To add to the comedic undertone present during the show, Alec Gross was welcomed to the stage for a rendition of the song he co-wrote with Knox, “The Ballad of Frankenstein.” The final selection off Lexicon was “Bullets.” This bluegrass-infused pop ballad was one of the nights more upbeat songs. To end the night, Knox spared no emotion while singing “Immigrant Hands.” As an immigrant himself, he told the crowd he was inspired to write this song after taking his mother to Ellis Island. Whether you or your parents, grandparents or great-grandparents are immigrants, the song was incredibly relatable. It spoke vividly to his experience in this country and his ability to create a vision through song.
Art and storytelling were central themes of Will Knox’s performance. And while he has come of age in the digital age, he still believes wholeheartedly in the relationship between traditional art forms and music. Through his songs and comic book, he is successfully perpetuating that concept.
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