During a sold-out Roots concert in 1999, blues and R&B singer/songwriter Jill Scott steps on stage and belts out the lyrics to “You Got Me” – a song penned by Scott and traditionally performed by the Roots featuring Erykah Badu. Scott rises above and beyond her lyrics with several rounds of melodic freestyle. As if testing her command over the audience, she spells her name with staccato syncopation over and over again, transfixing the crowd into a state of lecture-hall silence. A slow smile fractures her round face as she slowly sings: “Ain’t it funny. . . I got on all my clothes . . . and I can still . . . s-i-i-i-i-ng.” Her students erupt in applause.
White, Jewish, and raised on a farm community, Mirah Yom Tov Zeitlyn doesn’t appear to have much in common with Jill Scott. But dig a little deeper – attend a concert, perhaps – and let Mirah’s stage presence do the talking. Listen to her voice build and break, and watch the audience slip into Mirah’s magnetic pull. Her music is highly experimental and largely beyond classification which flatters the mystic quality of her sound. Like Scott, Mirah possesses an undeniable presence; and, unlike many mainstream female musicians, she bares her soul rather than her skin. In fact, Mirah manages to seduce her fan base with a funky style that closely resembles the best and brightest of mid-’80’s ski-wear. On stage, she sheds genres rather clothes – blending soft and breathy folk with sharp and demanding rock. As a result, her music is unconventional and often feels private and unpolished. Her unique approach offers a sense of confident vulnerability that allows her audience to feel connected to her work. But, ultimately, it is the sheer intelligence of her lyrics and the composed excitement of her performance that leaves listeners spellbound.
As explained by K Records, Mirah “has been at the heart of the vibrant Northwest independent music scene” since 1999. She attended Evergreen State College and briefly lent her talents to an all-female Olympia band, The Drivers, before pursuing a solo career in Portland, Oregon. Mirah thrived in the Portland music scene for six years – frequenting small and notoriously hip venues such as Holocene and the Doug Fir Lounge. In the fall of 2010, she moved to San Francisco where she is currently based. Despite the relocation, Mirah continues to exude a Northwest presence with iconic songs such as “Mt. St. Helens.”
Mirah is currently touring with Thao Nguyen and can be spotted at Portland’s Wonder Ballroom as well as several venues in Washington State throughout the month of May.