Cover photo by Little Jack Films
Author: Bridget Benevides
I’ll be the first to admit that I am bias when it comes to my favorite venues in Seattle. Last time I was at Neumos (as an under 21-year-old attendee), I was corralled to the upper part of the venue where there was limited visual access to the stage below. Because of this, I was mildly nervous about going to this venue again to see Colter Wall, but luckily, I was allowed to be on the ground level, the same level as the stage, which made my experience much more enjoyable. Saturday, May 5th was a night of surprises and beautiful folk music over at Neumos.
The night began with a beautiful performance from Jade Bird, and 20-year-old singer-songwriter from England. Not only did she have an adorable accent, but a very smooth and angelic voice. She played acoustic guitar as she sang songs that were upbeat but emotional and had very poetic lyrics. As she sang the audience swayed and nodded their heads. She introduced the name of her songs, sometimes adding a little anecdote about how the song came to be. She also thanked the audience for their enthusiasm after most songs.
Colter Wall then came to the stage wearing a cowboy hat and carrying an acoustic guitar. This was a sold-out show, so the venue was packed with excited fans. Colter Wall is a folk/country singer, so he carried the night with his talent on the guitar and his impressive vocals. His songs were very elegant, with a beautiful melody being played on guitar and his deep, husky voice. His voice was unlike anyone I had ever heard, he sang with beautiful strength and softness that created depth to his songs. His voice reminded me of nature—vulnerable at times, but vast and breathtaking.
Because I hadn’t heard many of his songs before last night, I was able to be continuously impressed by each song, each note, each lyric and each moment. He had a nice stage presence, sometimes making the audience laugh with short stories in between his songs. It was a very relaxing night, acoustic/folk music never fails to make me think and give me chills.
I am continually impressed with the level of talent that Seattle attracts and thankful that I get to experience so many different artists here. Colter Wall and Jade Bird will be added to my list of “Thank goodness I was here to see that.”
BRIDGET BENEVIDES | “Pretty young thing going dancing in the rain” | KXSU Music Reporter