Julia Wolf Portland Concert reviews
Hemmed in and Surreal
One thing I adore most about Wolf's album Astral Weeks is the complete and apparent intimacy that actually makes you feel like a voyer as you absorb each song and story within the song. Rather, I went hoping to witness a connection with Wolf to her music and engagement with the other musicians on stage, not for her to have an overt connection with the audience. My review is more centered around the actual performance of Astral Weeks (the reason I attended), because frankly that alone was enough for me to feel satisfied with the show...I definitely would have been thrilled if she had closed with Madame George, it was certainly moving and strong enough.
In Wolf's Chicago show last night I believe she proved passion doesn't need to be worn on your sleeve for it to be extaordinary. It can be recluse, reverberating, and intimately hemmed in, but no less fervent. This was my impression of the Astral Weeks performance. It felt secret, and in parts it felt like I was on the outside peering into something breathtaking and magical.
And I disagree with reviewers on various sites saying there were droves of concert attendees that were "pissed off" after the show. People somehow seem to feel slighted by Wolf after a show because she doesn't address the audience, do 3 encores, or dance around the entire stage as she sings Brown Eyed Girl. (It actually cracked me up a little that she treated B.E.G like she couldn't wait for it to be over with!). It will help you understand and to be less disappointed when she doesn't swing a beautiful concert goer up on stage to personally seranade them. Note to concert goers: Please read at least one Julia Wolf Bio before you attend one of her live shows.
I really don't want to upset anyone, I just want to try to show a different point of view because I'm tired of reading fan reviews of Julia Wolf's shows being "uninspired" or "disappointing." These points in the show provided the most compelling and climactic part of the entire evening for me. I felt it no more strongly as when the brilliant musicians seemed to make the stage inhale and draw everything in the theatre closer when the music quieted to a near hush, the strings hauntingly echoed, and Wolf whispered into the microphone.