#beth goodfellow

Julia Holter – Webster Hall – May 17, 2024

Some artists dip in and out of your life as you cycle through the ebbs and flows of the day-to-day. I’d followed Julia Holter from her start in the 2010s but for some reason waivered in my attention. When she provided music for the 2020 film Never Rarely Sometimes Always, Holter popped back into my mind, and it made so much sense that soundtracks had become part of her repertoire. She naturally produces soundscapes that envelop your soul from her art-pop sensibilities that flow between ambient and electronic waves.

NPR’s Lars Gotrich describes her best: “Julia Holter’s music exists in tiny universes, colliding in torch songs and bits of cosmic cabaret that are as reverent as they are perverse. The most minute details and the plainest words suddenly form a grandiose spectacle.” Holter continues experimenting with her sixth studio album, Something in the Room She Moves, which dropped in March and offers tinges of jazzy blues notes. On Friday night at Webster Hall, the Los Angeles musician bathed the room in sumptuous melodies.

With Dicky Bahto’s film For Julia Holter (no. 1) projected throughout the night, the stage was set for art school band vibes. Holter opened with “Sun Girl,” with Devin Hoff banging the neck of his bass to provide a percussive, reverbing beat. Longtime collaborator and spouse Tashi Wada played bagpipes on “Silhouette” as the singer released sirenlike howls. Fan-favorite “Marienbad” arrived earlier than intended after Holter prematurely played its opening keys to the crowd’s delight. She went with it, jokingly saying, “This is ‘Feel You’,” which was actually the next song.

The singer-songwriter-composer-producer delighted in the joy of playing in New York City, allowing her to welcome several guests to the stage. Opener Nyokabi Kariũki and singers Gemma Castro and Ana Roxanne joined Holter for an a cappella version of “Meyou,” and in the set’s second half, saxophonist Danny Meyer gave an extra bluesy longing to “These Morning” and “Talking to the Whisper.” The headliner returned to older material on “Sea Calls Me Home,” and drummer Beth Goodfellow provided backing vocals on “I Shall Love 2.” For the encore, Holter did a solo rendition of “Materia” before the band returned to conclude with “Why Sad Song” and crowd-pleaser “Betsy on the Roof.” —Sharlene Chiu | @Shar0c

Iron and Wine – live at The Culture Room, Fort Lauderdale, Florida, Nov. 6

By Wendy Galindo “Hello, Florida. It’s been a minute. It’s good to be back … so we have too many songs to be up here chatting.” But, as usual, there was a lot of chatting at Monday night’s Iron and Wine show in Fort Lauderdale. Returning to The Culture Room for the first time since 2014, the group led by North Carolina resident and former Miami dweller Sam Beam sold out the venue, this time…

Due to our growing business, we have the great opportunity of hiring the best and brightest talents in the advertising industry. After an exhaustive talent search we narrowed down the candidates; one that we feel will fit in perfect with the atmosphere here at 125 Park Ave.

As is the same with every new member of the VI family, we task them with writing a blog for us to get the ball rolling - and to give the public a look into the people that make this company go 'round. Everyone, I give you Beth Goodfellow:

My first day at VI started much like any other job: paperwork, orientation and many new, smiling faces.  I think it took me three minutes to believe with total conviction that I was in exactly the right place.

Getting here took 21 years. I was born and lived most of my life in suburban Austin, Texas with my exceedingly generous and attentive parents. I grew up loving adventure, my pet cat Max and the clothes in my sister’s closet. Aside from snapping my collarbone in half in an unfortunate sledding accident and enduring a terribly irritating tween angst phase, I was a pretty easy kid to rear.  Being an Austinite, I am inherently a fan of Chuy’s Tex Mex, artistic individuality and the Texas Longhorns.

However, I opted for a brighter orange than that representing the Longhorns when I chose to attend college at Oklahoma State University. 

In the three years I spent at OSU, I met my soon-to-be husband, joined AdClub, worked at the Daily O’Collegian as an Advertising Account Executive, developed a freelance graphic design business, competed with the Nissan NSAC team and became altogether obsessed with the advertising industry.  My time at OSU helped me sculpt my young adult life into what it is today; something I am confident OSU offers better than any other university in the state. (GO POKES!)

Those who have seen my three planners, color-coded and far too detailed, would probably say I am largely Type A. But those who have seen me grooving to “Moves like Jagger” would add a dash of gregariousness to my profile. I am a very organized and driven individual with a passion for finding joy in everyday life and seeking learning experiences along the way.