Jesus Christ.
Andrew Bird (may have heard of him through his work with the Squirrel Nut Zippers)
Is freaking amazing.
Yes, he’s recording loops of himself on violin, mid-performance, and playing them back with his feet.
“The artist’s live solo shows have been notable in that he uses a multi-track system to sample and loop his own performance. For example, he may record a snippet of his performance on violin, then play a “loop” of that sound. This provides a more full-bodied sound and aurally suggests a band performance, rather than the sound of a solo artist. Once, at a gig in Amsterdam, at the Paridiso, he needed more movement on his feet in order to work the loop pedals, so he kicked off his shoe and hit a person in the audience. He later said “I should have simply twiddled my toes at her”.”
