At their Oct. 26 show at the Cat’s Cradle, singer-songwriters Damien Jurado and Sharon Van Etten were forces to be reckoned with — each in their own way, but each equally impressive.
Seattleite Damien Jurado opened up the show with a mesmerizing set of quiet acoustic songs. It sounded as though Jurado was barely singing above a whisper, captivating all but a handful of audience members who preferred to chat over listening. Peanut gallery aside, Jurado’s set was nothing short of stunning.
Van Etten and her band finally took the stage after a 40 minute wait. Any impatience-induced grumpiness immediately melted away.
Tramp, the LP that Van Etten released earlier this year, provided the fodder for most of her set, with tracks like “Leonard” and “Magic Chords” shining. And while Van Etten’s songs can pack a pretty hard emotional punch, the atmosphere was easy and relaxed. Van Etten improvised silly songs between other songs and remarked that the Triangle was almost like a second home to her.
Van Etten closed her set with “Ask,” which she introduced with a story about a date turned sour. With lines like, “And it hurts too much to laugh about it,” it’s not exactly a cheery song, but Van Etten managed to make it feel better — like going, “Hey, remember that time…?” over a drink with friends.
There’s no signs of Van Etten slowing down anytime soon, a fact that the rest of us should thank our lucky stars for.
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