Take one look at me you know imma Andre 3000 fan. The artistry, the honesty, the forthrightness: he’s a genius after my own heart.
So I was thrilled when I got invited by Knockturnal’s foremost music writer Hakeem to witness an IMAX presentation of ‘New Blue Sun,’ a film / album directed by Terrence Nance – huge fan of his, too – featuring Andre in a blue room simply living. A living room, if you will.
This album ended up on several year end best of lists and I couldn’t agree with those critics more. It’s meditative, curious, improvised and whimsical.
The visual we got matched that energy perfectly. He’s doing hand stands, he’s playing with toys, he’s walking with shoes for hands: it’s a tour de force of childlike improvisation soundtracked by improvisational jazz.
‘Ninety Three Til Infinity and Beyoncé’ is the standout track, a fete of Sun Ra soaked genius, featuring the magnificent string work of Memphis-born genius V.C.R.
We seguewayed to a Q+A with Terence and Andre after the film wrapped. Full disclosure: fully thought they’d both be live in the building.
Still had a marvelous time. It’s just so fun listening to Andre talk.
‘If you don’t follow through on things…overly losing just don’t feel good,’ he said in reference to successfully washing his car. Such an off-kilter and direct way of describing a universal feeling.
We sat in rapt attention as questions flooded in from around the country. We could hear – in state of the art surround sound – the live New York audience shouting out in support of one of the most brilliant minds of our time.
I was jealous I couldn’t be there to register my thanks to him in person. He may have brought us a new blue sun, but Andre 3000 remains ice cold.
