L'Orchestre d'Hommes-Orchestres

I hear women yodeling as I approach the Spiegaltent.  The tent is one of the last of its kind.  A wooden traveling tent, it is decorated with various murals on the outside and stained glass windows near its peak.  Intricate molding and woodworking decorate the colorful walls and posts inside.  The French band is called L’Orchestre d’Hommes-Orchestres, and they are performing songs by the cult favorite American artist (now deceased), Tom Waits.  From what I hear, Tom Waits has a very unique style that is characterized by different instruments he uses (like a megaphone) and his raspy growling voice.  But L’Orchestre takes his performance a step further, using over 100 props onstage as instruments.  Unusual sounds are creatively mixed to produce a performance that surprisingly sounds familiar to the original songs.  The sounds of dominoes hitting a table, a cork being twisted in and out of a wine bottle and even things as ridiculous as a golf club attached to a helmet that bangs against a frying pan mix and meld to create a hilariously entertaining show.  Despite the ridiculousness of the act it was still obvious that the members were very musically talented.  They were able utilize everyday objects, accompanied by a guitar most times, to create melodies and harmonies that would leave you thinking the song was written that way.