ANGUS & JULIA STONE BRING SWIRLING ENERGY TO WARSAW

Sometimes when a show is “sold-out,” you think you might get lucky and snag a last minute ticket if you show up to the venue and beg the folks waiting on line. Friday evening at Warsaw, however, concert-goers grasped onto their tickets for dear life; no amount of money would be worth the sale. Once inside, not even the familiar scent of potato and cheese pierogis from the nearby kitchen could lure excited fans away from their front row at the barrier.

Once the room was to about half-full capacity, opening act Luke Sital-Singh, armed with only his guitar, and absolutely no backing band, filled the entirety of the room with his voice and a few lonely notes to accompany him. His voice reminded me of sort of a lightweight Jon Bon Jovi, if you could imagine that. I watched him in awe as he let the guitar drop away multiple times showcasing the strength his voice held during those quiet moments. His music was a shining example of beauty in stark simplicity. The British singer-songwriter moved effortlessly between keys and guitar, and I wondered aloud how I hadn’t heard of him until this evening. This was another case of “better late than never,” and with a new EP entitled “Just A Song Before I Go,” I’ll definitely be on the lookout for more music from such a bright talent.

Luke Sital-Singh

After a small delay to changeover the stage, the fans were more than ready for Angus & Julia Stone to take the stage. Julia was the first to address the crowd, with just her trumpet. “Baudelaire,” “Make It Out Alive,” and “Cellar Door” found their way into the earlier part of the set list. Angus’ smoky vocals were a beautiful compliment to the delicateness of Julia’s.

Angus & Julia Stone

A&JS

The Australian sibling duo, surrounded by their full band, played off each other during their set. Stationed in front of a large backdrop with various projected images, ranging from an orange moon, to a deer, it was quiet easy to close your eyes and envision your self transported to lush green meadows, shimmering waves, and tranquil beaches. These kinds of images are no doubt conjured up by the dreamy quality of their brand of indie rock, but seems to be in stark contrast with their recently released album name, Snow. The reference to such an unforgiving season is only for its minimalist nature.

A&JS

“Chateau,” “Wherever You Are,” and the slow burning “Bloodhound” nestled into the middle of the setlist earned a healthy round of enthusiastic cheers from the crowd. Each subsequent song added to the swirling energy in the room, and never seemed to wane. Pockets of space left empty by those who were in dire need of a beer were quickly filled in by those wanting to get that much closer to the stage and hang onto every lyric sung. “Yellow Brick Road” also seemed to get the emotions flowing, as I watched throngs of fans mouth along with Angus as he sang. “Chocolate & Cigarettes” was the song of the night for those wanting to sing along with Julia. With such a tender ballad, their set ran the entire gamut of emotion from start to finish, erasing any doubt that any fan was left unsatisfied as the night drew to a close.