Review: Sharon Van Etten @ Music Hall of Williamsburg (6/12)
Last Thursday night, Northside badge holders and fans alike lined up during a misty rainfall outside of Music Hall of Williamsburg to see Sharon Van Etten perform. The last time I saw her was during the release show for Tramp, and I was curious how much her affable charisma had changed in that time period. The answer: not much. It’s only gotten better. Who else but Van Etten to sing incredibly sad songs and keep the audience laughing and engaged in between?
Van Etten’s touring bandmates, made up of Doug Keith (guitar), Heather Woods Broderick (keyboards/vocals), Darren Jesse (drums), and Brad Cook (bass), are professionals without a doubt. The vocal chemistry between Van Etten and Woods Broderick during “Nothing Will Change” from Are We There is so beautiful live that listening to the recorded version is almost a let down. That’s not to say that Are We There is not deserving of a listen if you haven’t yet. The hype and acclaim Van Etten received for Tramp obviously didn’t add pressure to Van Etten, and she self-produced Are We There to obvious success. The band ran through most of this most recent album during their set (when Van Etten wasn’t explaining her British nickname “Shazza” or flirting with an audience member), including a few songs from 2010’s Epic: “Save Yourself” and “Don’t Do It.” The latter featured a more intense version of the vocal looping (done by Woods Broderick) that made the song an even more haunting listen.
As Van Etten introduced “Give Out” from Tramp, she told the crowd it was a song about “moving to a city for a boy.” Someone shouted out, “Was it worth it?” Van Etten responded with, “Of course,” and proceeded to play the song. Once it was over, she addressed us again and said she heard someone say, “He wasn’t worth it.” Van Etten calmly adjusted her guitar strings and said, “Fuck anyone who says it’s not worth it! Everything is worth it!” She then added, “But thanks for coming.”
It’s this duality of negativity and positivity found in her music that makes Van Etten such a loved and respected musician. It also helps to see that Sharon Van Etten the performer doesn’t brood as much as Van Etten the songwriter, inspiring listeners to both root for her and relate to her. How can anyone not have a crush on her?
Review by Alex Martinez. Follow her on Twitter, jagoff, @xxalexm.
