ARTICLE BY SOPHIA PORTIER
PHOTOS BY AMELIA TABULLO
SEPT. 23 | HOLLYWOOD—Tonight’s show at the Music Box was truly magical. A delicious spark radiated throughout the air and anyone lucky enough to have been here had to have felt its very effective charge. The night kicked off with L.A.’s own Sea Wolf, whose singer/songwriter Alex Church hotly shines like gold. With songs that provide the perfect soundtrack to all things West Coast, this is a band for Los Angelinos to love, love, love. Church is superbly charming, like an indie hybrid of somber Elliot Smith and fiery Ryan Adams.
He ably crafts earthy and sensual songs such as the beautiful “The Promise,” in which he croons, “I will love you in the morning if you love me tonight.” Another highlight was “The Cold, the Dark, and the Silence,” whose earnest beat and brooding lyrics had isolated pockets of the audience dancing. Church delivers intimate lyrics in a California-dreaming voice and is backed by a standout ensemble of exquisite instrumentalists in their own right.
As expected, Sea Wolf performed indie hit “You’re A Wolf,” whose thoroughly infectious drive had fans singing along enthusiatically. Tonight’s set was simply amazing, compelling ardent admirers to dance to the band’s bright melodies and heartfelt lyrics. This is music chockfull of emotion, telling stories about love and its absence and loss, all of which positively shimmer across waves of sound. Fans have much to adore about Sea Wolf, from vocals as rich as gold to music that pulses with color and sparkling energy. The band’s set ran short but was nevertheless extremely sweet. Sea Wolf is definitely an indie treasure not be missed.
Next on was headliners Okkervil River, and I think it’s safe to say that extraordinary frontman Will Sheff beat the heart right out of our chests tonight. His voice is wholly gorgeous; it positively soars off the stage. It wraps itself both around and inside of you and never once lets go.
Their initial set played like a “best of Okkervil River,” as this band has a very rich oeuvre at their disposal. They performed such favorites as “Our Life is Not a Movie or Maybe,” which Sheff very aptly dedicated to the crowd. And much to everyone’s delight, the band also rocked fan favorite “Black,” which jumps and jangles in classic Okkervil fashion. Sheff has a beautifully strong voice, one with a lot of mileage in it. The audience sang along to many songs, especially during “John Allyn Smith Sails,” whose ending blends part of “Sloop John B.” Any band that can effectively channel the Beach Boys a la Pet Sounds is insanely brilliant.
Powerfully spot-on drumming courtesy of Travis Nelsen was especially evident in the much beloved “For Real.” At the end of their first encore, the band played the awesome “West Fall,” whose ending refrain of “evil don’t look like anything” had the audience singing. Accomplishing a fantastic performance tonight, Sheff demonstrated his ability to weave small epic tales into songs. He is a genius lyricist, penning lyrics that have both poignancy and angst.
At their core, Okkervil River is a unique band. Offering a passionately distinct voice and exceptionally constructed music via banjo, guitar and bass, among others, the band performs memorable shows that stay with fans long after the second encore has ended. Tonight was truly an excellent show, on par with any fan’s highest expectations and maybe even shattering them.
For more photos from this show, visit The Scenestar photo galleries of Sea Wolf and Okkervil River.
Leave a Reply