It’s been a long few weeks for Sharon Van Etten, Angel Olsen, and Julien Baker, and an even longer month for their crew who’s been moving them city to city on this jam-packed month-long tour. They’re not complaining though—in fact they're having a blast. But as Van Etten pointed out between songs, it’s hard to leave your friends and family—and your comfort zone—for a month, especially after you’ve spent a few years locked at home. This traveling storm of music and camaraderie has been plowing through the states at the hottest time of the year, to boot. Luckily this summer evening in Philadelphia had a persistent cool breeze and plenty of food trucks, feeling less like a concert and more like a locally sponsored weekend festivity.
Things kicked off in the early afternoon, which was a little bit of a bummer for a Friday afternoon as many were caught in traffic leaving work, causing them to miss opener Quinn Christopherson as well as Julien Baker, myself included. Many in the crowd were hoping for a second shot during the encore with no such luck.
After Baker’s set, Olsen and her band took the stage just as the crowd was watching the Philly sunset from high above the city. Playing a slew of songs from 2014’s Burn Your Fire for No Witness to the recently released Big Time, Olsen chatted between songs and thanked the crowd for cheering her up as she was grumpy from missing her nap earlier in the day. The all-too-brief set showcased her dynamic range—one minute she’s rocking out with her band and the next her small but powerful string section is bringing her epic “Lark” to a stirring conclusion.
As the sun disappeared, so did Angel, and as the darkness crept in, Van Etten and her band assembled in the shadows. Bathed in red light, Van Etten’s piercing gaze behind her long bangs could be seen even in the darkness. She lets her Jersey roots hang out with her bar-band energy, but her songwriting and delivery are far more advanced than the presentation suggests. She and her band quickly remind you why she and Olsen are so tight. They both bare everything in their songwriting, but their fierceness is the real shared bond.
After a reminder of how far she’s come in the last 13 years, playing some of everything from each era, Van Etten brought Angel back to the stage and joked they were going to do a Willie Nelson cover. Instead they tore into their 2021 joint hit “Like I Used To,” a song Van Etten said she wrote for herself, but felt she was stealing from Olsen, so she offered it to her. While the audience was ready for more, the duo left the stage—hopefully off to get some well deserved rest.
See more shots from the night's festivities below.
