All Photos by Haley Parsons
I arrived at The Neptune Theatre about 20 minutes after doors opened and was like, “where is everyone?” This was my first ever solo concert experience and I was terrified that I had somehow missed the entire show, as illogical as that sounds. I hung out in the 90-year-old historic theater and tried to study (dead week ahhhh) but didn’t get much done before Luke Sital-Singh began his set with “I’m going to be warming you up tonight and I’m going to be doing it with depressing songs”.
Sital-Singh is not your average sad man with a guitar – his voice was haunting and he found a way to fill the entire theater with his emotional sound. About halfway through his set, someone yelled, “Play something sadder!” and he chuckled back, “It’s coming! You’re gonna regret that!” He made good on that promise, especially when he played “Killing Me”, which seemed to be a song from the perspective of a widower who had lost his wife. This sad set was justified by Luke because, “It’s only Wednesday, there’s nothing to be happy about on a Wednesday”. On that dismal note, the audience was left in wait for the hopefully happier Angus & Julia Stone.
As it got closer to the headliner’s set time, I noticed that the venue had pleasantly surprised me by putting on Frank Ocean’s “Lost”. When that song ended, “Thinkin Bout You” started and a majority of the crowd began to sway and sing the words to the epic song. As soon as Frank sang his final “cause I been thinkin’ bout forever”, Angus and Julia took the stage bathed in purple hues. Their set consisted of a mix of older tracks and more recent songs from their 2017 album Snow. Some highlights from the show were “Chateau”, “Cellar Door”, and “Nothing Else”. It’s obvious the siblings have performed together for a number of years because their movements were entirely in sync. For every action, there was a counter action that kept them interesting to watch.
Angus showcased his vocals on a slow and steamy version of “Bloodhound” while Julia brought out a freaking trumpet for several songs, most notably on “Private Lawns” from their first full length release A Book Like This (2007). I was blown away over how a song from a decade ago could be on the same set list as such new and fresh tracks, yet still sound just as enticing.
As anticipated, they played their hit, “Big Jet Plane” and invited the audience to sing along. But I think the crown jewel of the night was their encore, which was built from a cover of “Harvest Moon” by Neil Young and their own song “Yellow Brick Road”. To me, a good cover is created when a band takes a song and makes it entirely their own. The Stones did just that when they transformed Young’s slow, minimalist folk song into a more eerie and melodic ballad.
Angus & Julia Stone demonstrated a perfect balance of mixed vocals, solo instrumentals, and playful banter with the crowd. At one point, someone called out, “Angus! I love you!” and after a brief pause he drawled, “I love you too, Seattle.” The statement alone was enough to make me swoon, but the entire show felt dreamy and warm thanks to the charming venue and charming performers. Julia’s light voice and pixie-like dance moves brought down the house as Angus’s blues-laden guitar riffs and soulful vocals slowed the pace of the night and kept everyone entranced. I had expected to see a good show, but was blown away by the level of professionalism and detail orientation they presented themselves with. The band’s allure drew a couple hundred people out of their cozy homes on a bitingly cold Seattle night, then Angus & Julia Stone sent them home all warm and fuzzy on the inside.
HALEY PARSONS | Angus! I love you! | KXSU Music Reporter