Cracking the Shell with Andrew Bird

Revisiting The Mysterious Production of Eggs on its 20th Anniversary

Nearly twenty years after its release in 2005, the Whistling Virtuoso has returned to The Mysterious Production of Eggs — not to relive it, but to reexamine it. With 20 years of an astounding career and hard-earned lessons under his belt, there’s more reason to question how the system works than ever before. This fall, Bird is performing the album front-to-back with local orchestras, bringing new dimensions and rediscovery to a record long considered a turning point in his career.

When Eggs first landed, it was a departure. Bird had already logged some years with his swing outfit, Bowl of Fire , released Weather Systems , and was playing for every band, genre, and opportunity under the Chicago sun. But, wo