A little slow on the uptake, the single ‘Seventeen’ was an entry drug for me, and then seeing Sharon Van Etten live at the Dark Mofo Festival a few years back sealed it for me. A magnificent mesmerising performance in the hallowed halls of The Odeon Theatre in Hobart in the middle of winter, and one of the stand out performances of that year.
And the only thing that has surpassed that performance was tonight, back in The Odeon Theatre again, during an alleged Tasmanian springtime. Now performing as Sharon Van Etten & the Attachment Theory, this was the opening of Van Etten and her band’s Australian and New Zealand tour and an outing for the band’s self-titled album: a magnificent debut reviewed by me here.
The difference from the last gig seemed palpable: on stage was a cohesive unit that positively shone on stage with a tangible camaraderie. Van Etten seemed liberated by the band: animated, relaxed and delivering her usual velvet vocals with an impossible range. The band was tight and muscular, even in the quieter moments and the spine-shuddering bass of Devra Hoff and throbbing synths of Teeny Lieberson was stunning – the insistent synth riff for ‘Somethin’ Ain’t Right’ slipping over the stunning bass line.
And when Lieberson and Van Etten harmonised, the result was spine tingling.
The set list was heavily populated by the self-titled album – a reboot of sorts for Van Etten’s creative output where she shared songwriting duties for the first time, and there were some beautiful sing along moments from the enthused audience for some of Van Etten’s songs from earlier solo albums.
This was a magnificent and transfixing evening that induced an euphoria: anthemic songs that balanced delicacy with a thundering delivery. Collectively, the band were entertaining and dynamic and thoroughly skilled musicians. Van Etten herself was a triumph: laughing, joking, moving around the stage and full of witty heartfelt banter with the usual robust Hobart audience. I saw some British band from nineties in Sydney a few days ago in a large soulless stadium and I can honestly say as much as they were admirable, they couldn’t hold a candle to the intimacy and warmth generated by Sharon Van Etten & the Attachment Theory.
Support came from Cash Savage doing a solo stint: a fantastic and entertaining performance filled with Savage’s usual passion and dedication. There was a lovely moment when she played a song that had brought her to Van Etten’s attention a few years ago and which ultimately lead to her support slot.
If you are in the vicinity, do yourself a massive favour and get along to the remaining gigs across Australia:
Castlemaine: Town Folk Festival, Saturday, 15 November
Tickets on sale now here.
Brisbane: The Tivoli, Tuesday, 18 November with special guest: Cash Savage
Tickets here.
Sydney: Enmore Theatre, Thursday, 20 November with special guest: Cash Savage
Tickets here.
Melbourne: The Forum, Saturday 22 November with special guest: Cash Savage
Tickets here.
Cash Savage
Sharon Van Etten & the Attachment Theory
Setlist
Live Forever
Afterlife
Idiot Box
Comeback Kid
(Sharon Van Etten song)
I Can’t Imagine (Why You Feel This Way)
Somethin’ Ain’t Right
Southern Life (What It Must Be Like)
Trouble
No One’s Easy to Love
(Sharon Van Etten song)
Anything
(Sharon Van Etten song)
Serpents
(Sharon Van Etten song)
Every Time the Sun Comes Up
(Sharon Van Etten song)
Jupiter 4
(Sharon Van Etten song)
Seventeen
(Sharon Van Etten song)
I Want You Here
Encore:
Tarifa
(Sharon Van Etten song) (Dedicated to David Lynch)
Indio
