The same week I saw the Darkness, I also ventured out in the snow with former YR blogger Whitney and her husband to catch Sharon Van Etten at the Black Cat in support of her new album Tramp (check it out).
Shearwater opened the show. They were great. I’d looked up a few of their songs before the show, but they had a more robust sound live.
Sharon’s set mixed songs off Tramp and Epic. “Serpents” is the clear standout on the new album, and it was also the highlight of the live show. I also liked “Leonard” a lot. But I was mostly pumped to hear my favorite tracks off Epic: “Peace Signs,” “A Crime,” and “One Day.” Sharon’s backing band was great and the harmonies were impressive throughout, but something about the live show was just off. The energy of the crowd was pretty low. This was amblified by the fact that I was still in my stupid boot thing and was relegated to sitting on a stool at the bar. A shockingly high percentage of the audience talked throughout the whole show, even during the headlining set. Trouble was, Sharon’s energy was also low and she lacked the stage presence to keep everyone’s attention. Her between song banter was endearing, but mostly quiet and awkward.
Here’s video of a b-side that she did:
We Love DC review here.
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