Even 12 years after the geriatric gem “The Golden Girls” ended, Bea Arthur is still — or perhaps just for the first time — a pop-rock muse, all because of Rufus Wainwright.
Much like a Quentin Tarantino film will make pop culture analogies to “quarter pounders with cheese,” Wainwright — who is playing at Pick-Staiger Concert Hall tonight — draws listeners in with widely recognized and visible social references.
“I try to remain culturally relevant,” Wainwright explained in a phone interview from Iowa City.
But Wainwright said this use of potentially disposable icons, such as Britney Spears in the song “Vibrate,” doesn’t immediately date his music since most of the themes and styles he implements are universal enough to remain relevant to listeners, no matter the decade.
“Well certainly I haven’t been dated yet because Britney’s all over the fucking news,” Wainwright said in his defense, with a laugh. “I think inevitably all humans are dated at a certain point. But (a song) could be in Italian opera style or with a Carmen backbeat, and the juxtaposition of those styles with modern day conveniences make it more of a collage. You can make it look like a weird sort of Andy Warhol.”
Wainwright paused a moment before emphasizing in his characteristically thick, dry voice, “But Britney Spears is on fire.”
It is this wry sense of humor that has brought Wainwright much of his success. His songs are at times bombastic, but he’s so clever that he deserves the right to be. His keenly witty lyrics are enhanced by both lush orchestrations — found on his most recent release “Want One” — and the candor of a single piano.
Wainwright will be playing solo for tonight’s performance, so he will play much of the forthcoming, and sequentially titled, “Want Two,” which he said is more conducive to such limitations. “Want Two” will be released Nov. 16, but it was almost included as a double album with “Want One.”
“I kind of warmed to the idea of it being released in sections,” Wainwright said of the decision to divide the material up. “It reminded me of Victorian novels, which were serialized, which I thought was really neat. Also the nature of the production is grandiose, so two albums of that would have been too much Wainwright.”
Keeping in spirit with his previous work, “Want Two” contains subject matter relevant to many of the issues concerning our nation today. Although he declined to call it a political album, Wainwright said there were songs preaching pacifism, such as a Latin prayer for peace.
“It has a social perspective in terms of the material,” Wainwright said. “Whereas ‘Want One’ was centered around my personal struggles and subsequent triumphs. ‘Want Two’ is when I get up and see that the world is still a dark place. There’s something vulnerable about it.”
In all of Wainwright’s albums, family has been a consistant theme, which isn’t much of a surprise, considering his pedigree; Wainwright is the son of folk singer Loudon Wainwright III and Kate McGarrigle. On “Poses,” Wainwright covered his father’s song, “One Man Guy,” and McGarrigle plays banjo on “Want One.” They even serve as subject matter for the song titled (surprise!), “Want.”
On top of his burgeoning musical career, Wainwright has stepped into the world of film. The jump across the artistic spectrum to acting can leave many musicians in a position to be severely scrutinized, but Wainwright has taken the move in stride. He performs a song in the Martin Scorsese film, “The Aviator,” and acts alongside Glenn Close in “Heights.” Although requiring a different craft from song writing and singing, Wainwright said the camera wasn’t too harsh a critic of his acting capabilities.
“It requires a whole other side of my brain, which revolves around subtlety, a sort of personal editing that I’m not so used to,” Wainwright explained. “I warmed to it in the end, but it required a whole renovation of what you think of. What you’re trying to squeeze blood out of is a machine — the camera. I did make the conscious decision that when I saw myself on camera I would either do it again or never again, but the camera does approve of my existence. Not like I look good or something, but it reads well. I’d try it again.”
After all these incredible opportunities and critically acclaimed albums and performances, the one thing that always has evaded Wainwright’s grasp is a smash hit.
“At this point I’ve been playing this game for such a long time, I wouldn’t mind winning it for the sake of sportsmanship,” Wainwright joked, poking fun at his own demerit. “Essentially I think it would be the only peg that I haven’t knocked down at this point. I’ve been lauded by critics, I’ve worked with famous fashion photographers. There are a lot of perks along the way, and the only thing missing is a bona fide radio hit.”
His songs may never reach the top of the Billboard charts or get placed in heavy rotation at a Top 40 radio station, but from his place in the musical order, Rufus Wainwright has found his niche with a classical style brought up to date with contemporary references, allowing him to maintain the cultural relevance he strives for.4
Communication junior Lindsay Sakraida is a PLAY assistant editor. She can be reached at [email protected].
