Andrew Bird to play sold-out show tonight

Andrew Bird will perform to a sold-out crowd at 8 p.m. today in the Buskirk-Chumley Theater. This is the first performance of the year for the BCT Concert Series, and it is jointly hosted by the IU Union Board. \nBird is a Chicago native with a degree in violin performance from Northwestern University. He is also proficient in whistling, guitar, mandolin and glockenspiel. \nBird’s eclectic music style is just as varied as his choice of instruments. He cites composers Maurice Ravel and Claude Debussy as influences, and is a fan of Ray Charles and Duke Ellington, yet his style still fits into the world of modern music.\nBird has collaborated with numerous musicians and groups and in 2005, he released the critically acclaimed “The Mysterious Production of Eggs.” His latest album, “Armchair Apocrypha” proved to be an even more ambitious effort in eclecticism. “Armchair Apocrypha” is Bird’s tenth studio album, according to his Web site. \nBird’s fall tour started Sept. 15 at the Austin City Limits Music Festival. Following his stint in Bloomington, Bird will headline this year’s Pygmalion Music Festival in Urbana/Champaign, Ill. He will close the tour in Wisconsin, where he will open for fellow instrumentalist and songwriter, Bright Eyes (also known as Conor Oberst). According to his Web site, Bird’s tour is eco-friendly with the inclusion of biodiesel, organic food, recycling initiatives and carbon offsets.\nThis is not the first time Bird will perform in Bloomington. He previously marveled concert-goers at the Buskirk in February 2006. Bird’s live show is known to showcase his many talents. Instead of replicating his albums on stage, he reinvents them, according to his Web site. When fans begin to sing or whistle along with Bird, they could be surprised with the presence of his violin instead. This is not to say that the core of his style is gone, but that he adds new layers of depth with each of his performances.\n“He plays these deep, complicated songs so effortlessly that the songs themselves seem to be smirking,” said senior Erin McGuan about his stage presence.\nWashington D.C.-based Le Loup is opening for Bird.