On a frigid Buffalo February, fabulous female folkies fed off frantic fans for fantastic fun. F yeah! Angel Olsen and the Big Band were in town at Babeville’s Asbury Hall, and they had Erin Rae along to open the show.
Rae, a Nashville-based singer/songwriter, was back in Buffalo for only the second time, waiting about 10 years for her return. Her last visit was a house show in front of just 7 people. Asbury Hall, an old converted church with seemingly endless height, and an attentive full house, was quite the jump up. One woman, one guitar and a ton of space to fill with a lot of ears and minds to reach. But Rae was able to command the crowd like they were just a handful in a living room. Maybe it was the spirit of her great grandmother who won woman of the year in Buffalo some 50-odd years ago lifting her up, but more likely it was Rae’s stellar skills put into practice.
And there was more to celebrate then just a long-awaited return to Buffalo. It was the one-year anniversary of her latest album, Lighten Up. She of course played liberally from it, opening with “Cosmic Sigh,” working a nice bit of mouth trumpeting in “Candy & Curry,” and closing up with “Lighten Up and Try.” She also tucked a couple older ones in, like “Can’t Cut Loose” and the enchanting “June Bug” from Putting on Airs.
Headliner Angel Olsen was also coming through with a nearly year-old album, having put out Big Time back in June. An album called “Big Time” warrants a big band, and Olsen had it covered with a seven-piece that included violin, cello, bass, drums, guitar, keys and herself on vocals, guitars ,and keys.
The story behind this latest release is Olsen’s turn toward classic country. Olsen delivered on that in spades, showing range on acoustic and electric guitars, her voice soaring and punctuated, soft and gentle, whatever it need be to drive home songs like “Dream Thing” and “Ghost On.” During both “Right Now” and “Go Home” the energy swelled and crashed multiple times like incoming waves, Olsen steered her crew deftly through voice and guitar.
The makeup of the band allowed for a flexible sound, and they flexed that muscle powering through some older material. They showed a poppier edge on “Shut Up and Kiss Me,” immediately flipped into grunge on “Give It Up,” then teetered into new wave on “All Mirrors.” Later in set, “Lark” provided fireworks. The fiddle, cello and bass opened in a humming drone, which led into more undulating ebbs and flows which strengthened with each passing chorus, until a final explosion left the same starting drone in its wake.
Olsen felt comfortable toying with her audience. She promised a premiere of a new song she wrote earlier that day, only to reveal it as a joke. Then she offered to play a request only to rebuff them all and play what she wanted instead. Though it may have only endeared her even more to the crowd. And really, what wasn’t to love?
After the final frame finished, fans filed from the festive fling, feeling fabulous. F yeah indeed.
Setlists
Erin Rae: Cosmic Sigh, Gonna Be Strange, California Belongs to You, Can’t Cut Loose, June Bug, Candy & Curry, Bad Mind, True Love’s Face, Modern Woman, Lighten Up and Try
Angel Olsen: Dream Thing, Big Time, Ghost On, Right Now, Shut Up and Kiss Me, Give It Up, All Mirrors, Go Home, Through the Fires, Lark, Sister, Those Were the Days, All the Good Time, Chance E: Without You (Harry Nilsson)
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