Elvis Perkins In Dearland Plays Tonight at The Parish
Songwriter and vocalist Elvis Perkins is the son of actor Anthony Perkins and photographer Berry Berenson-Perkins. He lost both his parents, each in a tragic way. But songwriting became a strong life force for Elvis that carried him through the darkest times. As he mentioned recently in an interview with NPR’s Steve Inskeep, “I’ve never been a good storyteller when it comes to regular conversation, which I think is in part why I’ve been driven to write these songs. I get to put as much as I like into it, say my piece and sort of feel more successful [that way].”
Elvis Perkins In Dearland has received critical praise for both its debut album, Ash Wednesday (2007) and the current self-titled release, the latter of which is seemingly not as brooding as the first and more upbeat. The song lyrics, however, tell a different story, showing a vulnerable emotional side. There is definitely a link between the music and his parents.
“They strike me as offspring from time to time,” Perkins said about his songs. “Some of them on the new album sort of stare back at me a little funny. Some resemble one more than others, and sometimes you wonder if there’s a bit of the mailman in some of the songs.”
You can see Elvis Perkins In Dearland perform tonight at The Parish, 214 E. 6th St. Other Lives will be opening the show. Everything starts around 9 p.m. Highly, highly recommended.
