Panel Nerds: Regina Spektor and Kurt Andersen Make Awkward Conversation

Who: Kurt Andersen, Regina Spektor, moderated by Katherine Lanpher

What: Barnes and Noble’s “Upstairs on the Square” series

Where: Barnes and Noble Union Square.

When August 18, 2009

Thumbs: Down

Hundreds of Regina Spektor fans squeezed inside the book store, as if at a concert, to hear the indie singer perform four of her hits. And the crowd made its presence known. People cheered, held cameras overhead, sang along with Spektor’s songs, and one fan cried out “We love you, Regina” during the panel discussion. It was incredibly disruptive, but also reflective of attendees’ restlessness and boredom while listening to the panel.

“Upstairs at the Square” is an innovative and ambitious project. Organizers invite popular writers and musicians to the same stage to read from their works and play samples of their music. They engage in a brief, moderated discussion about their crafts, personal history, influences and goals. In this case, though, the pairing didn’t work out in their favor.

Spektor spent the duration of the hour sitting at her piano. It was convenient for her to play music on cue, but it kept her visibly distant and markedly disconnected from writers Kurt Andersen and Katherine Lanpher on the other side of the stage. When Spektor contributed to the discussion, she was soft-spoken, shy and intimated. At other times, she underwhelmed. Lanpher asked Spektor to explain a comment the singer had made in a previous interview that left the singer silently embarrassed. “Sometimes I get on the spot and I have to say something,” she responded, unconvincingly.

Andersen posed a similar problem for the panel discussion. As Lanpher hoped to connect the two artisans through the optimism in their works, Andersen shot down this notion saying that he isn’t actually the optimist that comes out in his book. Left searching for a flimsy connection to unite the two panelists, Lanpher eventually settled on their mutual love for New York City.

The pair seemed as perplexed as Lanpher was to identify what bonded the two of them. Andersen pointed to Spektor as an example of an American immigrant achieving success through hard work. Spektor said she agreed that some of Andersen’s principles that Americans were too obsessed with money. As the two spoke to each other, it brought even more into focus the physical distance that existed between them. Eventually, Lanpher interjected with a request for Spektor to play another song.

Her attempts to tie Spektor’s song messages to the discussion created more confusion than cohesion. She would have been better off letting the music speak for itself.

What They Said

“Language is sort of the lifeline of every nation. If you want to know them you have to start with their language.”

– Regina Spektor, who emigrated from the Soviet Union, had to learn English to make friends.

“Wherever the horse is, you don’t have to get back on that horse. Find a different horse.”

– Kurt Andersen’s latest book, “Reset,” argues that Americans have grown to live beyond their means and suggests that the road to economic recovery is to abandon old theories, possibly, in favor of equine metaphors.

“You go from playing great music like Chopin and Mozart to playing your own crap.”

– Regina Spektor has a lower opinion of her music than her mass of screaming fans.

What We Thought

• With Spektor largely providing musical interludes, Andersen had to carry a lot more weight during the talking portions. He seemed thrown by the large, young crowd that had gathered. It took him roughly the first half of the panel to get fully comfortable. He spent too much time early on educating, lecturing and reading. When he shifted to a more personal tone, shortening his answers and cracking some jokes, people began to warm up to him more.
• We hadn’t considered how difficult it must be for non-natives like Spektor to write song lyrics in their second language. She says freedom of expression allows her to overcome any and all language limitations. Just look at some of her lyrics to recognize its truth.
• There was no Q&A at the conclusion of the event. The panelists stuck around to sign books and CDs. That’s what the audience came for anyway. We, like the audience, enjoyed the concert.

Regina Spektor’s Playlist:

“Laughing With”

“Blue Lips”

“Folding Chair”

“Us”

Panel Nerds Etan Bednarsh and Danny Groner are New York-based writers and avid panel-goers. Want them at your panel? Email them here: PanelNerds@mediaite.com

This is an opinion piece. The views expressed in this article are those of just the author.