Maritime Music from The Magnetic Field's Stephin Merritt: 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea at the Paramount Tonight

Stephin Merritt at Town Hall, March 2008 (courtesy of houseoftomorrow.com)

If you’ve spent any time in the presence of Stephin Merritt, you’ve most likely learned that the man behind cult-favorite The Magnetic Fields is about as warm (and conversational) as a giant squid.

For fans of Merritt’s musical stylings and/or epic tales about giant squids, tonight’s your dream come true as the curmudgeonly mastermind will be performing the score to the 1916 silent classic 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea.

Merritt will perform the score, which was originally commissioned for the 2010 San Francisco International Film Festival, with accordion and organ accompaniment by Daniel Handler (better known to many by his pen name Lemony Snicket) and David Hegarty respectively. The spectacle is set to begin at 7:30 PM at the Paramount.

Check out the Seattle International Film Festival page on the event for more details.

If you're a fan of the Magnetic Fields and/or awkward phone conversations, be sure to also check out our interview with Merritt from earlier this year.