Artist, actress and performer KIMIKO, aka Kimiko Glenn, told us about her Regina Spektor experience...
KIMIKO: I have seen Regina Spektor in concert more times than any other artist I’ve known and loved. She is, IMO, the GOAT. I have listened to her albums since high school, and have always kept tabs on the new music she puts out. I am obsessed with her artistry and her brain. I was pretty much gagged when I found out I’d be on Orange Is the New Black, partly because Regina was singing the theme song. ‘Maybe she’ll come to a premiere!!!’ I screamed to myself in my head. Well, she did. Through giddy, tear-filled eyes, I got to meet her. And meet her again. And meet her again. There are some really cheesy pictures of us online, somewhere. They are my favorite.
Since then, I have had the magical honor of going to many of her shows and giving her a big old hug afterward. Nothing is better than knowing someone you admire is not only better live, but also an incredibly kind human being. Regina has this way of enrapturing an audience with zero pageantry between each song. Occasionally she’ll whisper something into the mic, or giggle, speaking slowly and intentionally. But no matter what she was doing or saying, you could almost always hear a pin drop. The people who come to see her are some of the most adoring and respectful fans I’ve ever experienced. No talking, no unruliness: just deep, deep reverence.
In March of 2023, Regina came through LA and played at the Walt Disney Concert Hall. This performance was particularly unique, because she had invited other artists on stage with her. I distinctly remember a tap dancer who, in certain numbers kept the beat for her while she played, and in others, she sang entirely a cappella with him. I think this person at one point even sat at the piano while she stood up to sing. The whole thing felt so special and intimate, like we had all experienced some type of profound, earthly heaven. Like we had gotten lost in her world, in her mind, and had come back to life feeling new and whole again. I will never forget it, however, I have a feeling her next gig will end up being my new favorite. It always is!
KIMIKO's EP Modern Dance EP is out May 28.
Photo credit: Acacia Evans
