Thalia Hall housed an emotionally engaging range of indie rock artists on Friday night that compelled a sold-out audience of songwriter enthusiasts. The second leg of consecutive
Sharon Van Etten sets with London singer/songwriter
Nilufer Yanya opening, Friday’s edition additionally featured
Lucy Dacus. After Yanya set the table for attendees with her substantial vocal range, Dacus delicately crooned to the audience about regret, reminiscing, and rearranging routines in order to persevere through omnipresent reminders of former relationships. Peppering in piercingly specific details in songs such as “Addictions” and “Night Shift” from her hauntingly beautiful 2018 release,
Historian, Dacus delivered a performance that primed the audience for Sharon Van Etten’s emotionally enlivening catalogue.
Van Etten entered onstage in a peacock blue jacket, the shadow of her silhouette expanded behind her on an backdrop draped with crimson red lights. The 37-year-old displayed command and sincerity during her set that spanned across the entirety of
Remind Me Tomorrow, a January 18th release, and more. The pleading aura of “Jupiter 4” amidst ghostly synthesizers created an intimate tension that Van Etten maintained throughout the rest of the
80-minute set. Van Etten’s songs encapsulate countless elements of emotional connection, from the admiration of finding an unparalleled love, to the adversity of distancing from deeply rooted relationships, and the hurdles achieving each side of the spectrum. For how gracefully Van Etten reveals the intricacies of her relationships, her guitar creates a level of grit that sharpens the emotional sting her songs induce. Similarly displayed in “Night Shift” by Lucy Dacus, this combination creates an emotional eruption after well-executed instrumental escalations.
Humility echoed throughout Van Etten’s performance, both literally and lyrically. As she encountered technical difficulties while attempting to walk across the Pilsen stage with her microphone, she admitted it was her fault for trying, displaying a personable dose of self-deprecation. “I Told You Everything” acknowledged the magnitude of sharing the most precise details of life with one another, and the subsequent vulnerability experienced after disconnecting.
As a supremely talented artist that also acts in “The OA” on Netflix, Van Etten’s most memorable impression on Friday was the resonance “Seventeen” fostered for fans of all ages in attendance. Along with a rousingly screamed verse wedged within the track, the themes of growth and reminiscence were visibly meaningful to the abundance of fans that danced along to the song and remained engaged throughout the entire 93XRT concert.
