I just received an email from a friend who said: "If you haven’t experienced this guy, he’s worth it"

"This guy" is Andrew Bird.

From the press release:

Mystery Girl & Cheese On toast present Andrew Bird
Tuesday 15th January 2008
San Francisco Bath House
Wellington
+ Andrew McKenzie (grand prix)

Chicago-based multi-instrumentalist and lyricist Andrew Bird picked up his first violin at the age of 4. Actually, it was a Cracker Jack box with a ruler taped to it.

It's fitting that now, though classically trained, he has instead opted to play his violin in a most unconventional manner, accompanying himself on glockenspiel and guitar, adding singing and whistling to the equation, and becoming a pop songwriter in the process.

Andrew Bird has impressed huge festival audiences at Bonnaroo, Lollapalooza, SXSW, the Montreal Jazz Festival, Radio France, and made appearances on the BBC, KCRW's "Morning Becomes Eclectic," and NPR's "World Cafe" and "All Things Considered." Positive reviews and Best of 2005 lists followed including Magnet, Paste, The Onion, the Boston Globe, CMJ, and popmatters, as well as a nomination for the 2006 New Pantheon award, and the following rave from Pitchfork: "I looked at my notes and next to 'Skin Is, My,' the only comment I had scrawled was 'Wow!' The same dumbfounded comment was chicken-scratched next to three other song titles. Fitting, as there's no better word to describe Andrew Bird live."

This will be Andrew Bird's first visit to New Zealand.

For more info:
http://www.andrewbird.net
http://www.mysterygirl.co.nz