Adrianne Lenker @ The Depot 06.25

In a sold out show, Adrianne Lenker's solo show brought many to tears and heartache.

Concert

The night started off with an energetic buzz from the crowd patiently awaiting the show outside The Depot. I overheard some people saying they had been waiting outside since 11:00 a.m. The stage was set was simple: red curtains, blue lights and a large rug. On top of the rug sat a chair, guitar and two lava lamps glowing blue.

The opener of the night was Staci Foster. Foster walked out and the crowd greeted her warmly. She started out her set with a little bit of story telling, saying how “every town has a different sound” and giving a little background to her first song about the Guadalupe River in Texas. When she started to play and brought in the vocals, the crowd was captivated. Her sound is a little bit country and a little bit folk. The rest of her songs sounded like moments in nature—one with whistling sounds like the desert, another like air—and the last song sounded like a storm rolling in with her acoustic guitar, harmonica and rich vocals.

Next up was Adrianne Lenker, the main act. One chair, two guitars. The crowd moved closer and gets a little tighter with anticipation. At this point I realized this was definitely a sold out show. Everyone kept gathering in to try to catch a glimpse of her. Thank goodness The Depot has TVs.

Her first song of the night sounds so angelic and nostalgic. She makes the kind of music you just want to close your eyes and sway to, while painting your own picture in your mind. I think I was teleported somewhere else at one point from being in awe of her sound. I was quickly brought back down to earth when I heard sniffling from the crowd and lyrics saying “and your dearest fantasy / is to grow a baby in me / I could be a good mother” from the song “not a lot, just forever.” I believe that resonated with a lot of people, especially when I looked around I saw a few cheeks glistening from tears.

To be able to see an artist’s music move people is a powerful thing and Adrianne definitely holds that power. She played “Sadness As A Gift” from her newest album Bright Future and hearing the room sing along gave me chills in the very best way. The rest of the night, her songs wove together in an ethereal way, filled with lovely story telling and crowd interaction. It was a pleasure to be able to see her play and feel how much love was in that room.