Author: Emma Pierce
Photo by Jason Quigley
Long live the concept album!
With over twenty years of prolific songwriting and performing, Laura Veirs is bringing her 10th studio album, The Lookout, to the Tractor Tavern this week. According to Veirs, this album is is about the fragility of precious things and the enduring strength of protectors during turbulent times. The allusions present in The Lookout remind me of the beautiful simplicity of Mary Oliver’s poetry; the songs are deceptively simple but when you listen closely, they recognize the beauty of the ordinary objects in day-to-day life which is a skill within itself.
Furthermore, this album “is about the importance of looking out for each other… I’m addressing what’s happening around me with the chaos of post-election America, the racial divides in our country, and a personal reckoning with the realities of midlife…” says Veirs.
I first came across Veirs after the release her 2016 collaborative album with Neko Case and kd Lang: case/lang/veirs. Check out the single “Atomic Number” from that album below. There’s an interesting continuum from case/lang/veirs to The Lookout. I’ll let you decide for your yourself after listening more deeply to Veirs’ discography, but try to prove me wrong. The songs on The Lookout reflect subtle character studies (see “Margaret Sands”) that I found very present in the collaborative album.
Opening for Veirs is Seattle singer-songwriter Brenda Xu who has previously opened for Lisa Loeb, Esmé Patterson, Tomo Nakayama, and more!
Laura Veirs plays the Tractor Tavern this Thursday, March 7. Doors open at 7:00PM and the show begins at 8:00 PM. There are less than 50 tickets left! This show is ages 21+. Tickets and more information can be found here.
Can’t make the show?
Check out Laura Veirs on her: Website| Facebook| Twitter| Instagram
Check out Brenda Xu: Website| Facebook| Twitter| Instagram
EMMA PIERCE | i am sick and not happy about it | KXSU Senior Digital