As testified by my own Spotify Wrapped, Sharon Van Etten is a staple in my Top 5.
In fact, last year she took out the #1 spot, this year she came in at #2. Needless to say, I was beyond thrilled for the opportunity to see her perform live at Brisbane's gorgeously intimate The Tivoli (3 December).And oh man, was I enamoured beyond my expectations. I think I imagined the American singer-songwriter, with her lyrical voyaging through deep inner journeys of gritty emotional landscapes (often dark and brooding), would be a solemn performer.
Her first appearance of the night was with opening artist Batt on a song they had co-written called 'Blue'. Sharon walked on stage wearing a neat, button-up blouse, embraced Batt with an affection that was palpable, before humbly taking her place (with her hands behind her back) by Batt's side. So of course, my suspicion was confirmed.
Not so! For her headlining performance Sharon burst onto stage like a coiled spring of energy wearing a shimmering silver, long-sleeved shirt and black leather pants, dancing, prowling, and punching the air as she belted out 'Comeback Kid' from 2019's 'Remind Me Tomorrow' with the passion and fierceness of a bonfire.
From the word go she had the audience entirely enraptured. "I love you Shazza!" was shouted from adoring fans throughout the concert. And Shazza poured her love right back at us.
Regaling us with the back stories and anecdotes of her songs and life as an artist, Sharon also invited us to whip out our most awkward and uninhibited dance moves for her performance of 'Mistakes'. If it was a judged affair, I have no doubt Sharon's moves would have won the trophy.
And that voice! Oh that voice! A more tenaciously beautiful voice I haven't heard.
Performing songs predominantly from her latest album 'We've Been Going About This All Wrong' – the sixth album to be released by the indie-rock polymath and recorded in her home studio during the pandemic – the 90-minute set boasted the remarkable depth of field of her musical catalogue that spans 14 years.
Besides a rocky start to 'Jupiter 4', where it looked like Sharon and Lou Tides on vocal harmony and keys were struggling to hear one another and find the right key, the performance was impeccable.
A roaring audience brought the band back on stage for an encore of two songs; an upbeat version of 'Every Time The Sun Comes Up', which I'll admit was not my cup of tea. Might it grow on me with a few more listens? Maybe, but probably not.
An intimate, joyful, ecstatic evening was beautifully closed by her anthemic letter to her seventeen-year-old self, 'Seventeen'.
