Angel Olsen and her band played their first show in Calgary last night (June 22), wowing a packed room with a truly unique sound. Olsen's sharp vocals led the group through tracks from 2012's Half Way Home and 2014's Burn Your Fire For No Witness, her band's cohesive playing adding texture to the originally stark arrangements of songs such as "Acrobat" and "Windows."
The band were in good spirits, and Olsen jokingly asking the crowd about Calgary cops, as she felt assured the band would get into trouble. The stifling, hot church provided somewhat of a damper on the set, which may have been better suited to a club, but higher energy tracks like "Stars" got concertgoers tapping their feet, Olsen's tortured vocals juxtaposing the sunny music in a powerful way.
Given the sound of Olsen's latest single, "Intern," she's clearly in the midst of altering her sound or experimenting with new ones. Perhaps that's why the night's performance — of older material with a traditional rock band — felt somewhat nostalgic.
The band were in good spirits, and Olsen jokingly asking the crowd about Calgary cops, as she felt assured the band would get into trouble. The stifling, hot church provided somewhat of a damper on the set, which may have been better suited to a club, but higher energy tracks like "Stars" got concertgoers tapping their feet, Olsen's tortured vocals juxtaposing the sunny music in a powerful way.
Given the sound of Olsen's latest single, "Intern," she's clearly in the midst of altering her sound or experimenting with new ones. Perhaps that's why the night's performance — of older material with a traditional rock band — felt somewhat nostalgic.