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Last night, All Them Witches headlined First Avenue in downtown Minneapolis. I didn't see them, but I was in room. I've seen ATW a couple times before and wouldn't have minded seeing them again, but I had a really early morning today so I didn't stick around for their set. I was there specifically for the tour's opening act, the mighty Emma Ruth Rundle. By chatting with members of the crowd before she took the stage, it was pretty clear that a sizable chunk of the audience had also turned out just for her.
Rundle took the stage with just her acoustic guitar, some pedals, and her voice, and that small arsenal was enough to keep the entire audience rapt for the course of her performance. Her performance included songs from all her singer/songwriter solo albums - nothing from her experimental guitar albums, in other words. I was pleased to hear two songs from her excellent new album, These Killing Times, which she described from the stage as an "antifascist rock album." "Powerless" is one of my favorite songs of the year, and while I love the muscular version on the album, the more intimate arrangement she played live was equally effective. Instead of building to the big, full-throated notes of the album version, she went quiet, almost whispering some of the lines that are the song's biggest moments. The result was to draw the audience in close rather than blow their hair back.
Rundle unleashed the full power of her big voice in limited bursts on other tracks, such as "Catherine Wheel," the other track from These Killing Times that made the set list. By using that part of her register so sparingly over the set, each time she really belted it out it sent chills down my spine. It was also deeply moved by her performance of "Razor's Edge," one of my favorite songs in her repertoire, with All Them Witches Allan Van Cleave accompanying her on violin. One of my friends also got to hear his favorite ERR song, "Real Big Sky," when he shouted out its title and she decided on the spot to play it.
Emma Ruth Rundle's set last night was the best kind of live music experience. Warm, human, moving, and expertly performed. It takes a special kind of performer to command a large room solo, especially with such a simple setup. I've been to many shows when quiet performances were accompanied by a constant background noise of conversation from the crowd, but last night I heard nary a peep while she performed. She even commented on what a polite crowd it was, causing the audience to applaud raucously to show our appreciation. I think everyone in the crowd recognized what a special performance it was, and no one wanted to miss a moment of it.
Setlist:
"Living With the Black Dog"
"Citadel"
"Powerless"
"Catherine Wheel"
"Darkhorse"
"Real Big Sky"
"Razor's Edge" (with Allan Van Cleave)