Crossbreed Sinead O’Connor and Marilyn Manson, raise their female spawn in a combination Victorian insane asylum/circus and then put a violin in her hands at age 4, and you get an idea of what you’re in for during an evening with Emilie Autumn.
The California-born violinist was inspired by wildman violinist Nigel Kennedy and played concert halls across America and throughout Europe as a youth. At 21, she self-released her debut, a Classical recording titled On a Day. In 2001, she moved from Los Angeles to Chicago and began work on her full-length debut, Enchant, which was released in 2003 and subsequently discovered by Courtney Love, who utilized her violin expertise on her solo debut. Autumn joined Love in the all-female group The Chelsea for a brief tour, then returned to Chicago to work with Billy Corgan. She eventually got back to her solo work, completing Opheliac and forming her backing band, the Bloody Crumpets, in 2005.
As ready as you think you are, nothing can prepare you for the Gothic Classical Metal madness of Emilie Autumn’s Asylum.
She plays Bogart’s Friday evening. Get show details and more Sound Advice here.
This article appears in Nov 25 – Dec 1, 2009.
