Quincy Coleman
The first artist on the bill was Quincy Coleman—a woman with an exquisite voice and a sweet, personable stage presence. Heading to the show with the intention of seeing Kate Walsh, we wandered into the show halfway into Coleman's set and were disappointed we hadn't arrived earlier. Coleman's voice is has the rare distinction of being, at once, massive and sweet. Her songs are fiercely infused with classic style country music, and deeply personal narration.Brandi Shearer
After her was acoustic rocker Brandi Shearer who stood out like a sore thumb between the two more understated folksingers. Shearer's vocal prowess is undeniable, but her music wasn't folk, alt-country, or anything remotely resembling roots music. It was a bit of a distraction, and a loud one, which made it difficult to decide whether or not her work is actually good, or whether she was just out of place on the bill.Kate Walsh
After Shearer's loud, rowdy, sexed-up set, Kate Walsh's quiet, sweet melodies felt even more understated. Her presence onstage is practically angelic.Pulling mostly from her most recent release, Tim's House, Walsh kicked off the set with "Fireworks"—a sad tune about being alone on a national holiday. Indeed, much of Walsh's work is focused on sad songs, or songs that at least feel sad.
"Light the Dark," which she sang halfway though the hourlong set, was the one she claimed was the saddest song she's ever written. Despite the song's theme of love, loss, infidelity, and disappointment, Walsh's sweet, high and lonely voice fit it perfectly.
There's just something about watching a singer/songwriter who doesn't just sing songs, but rather experiences them every time, no matter how often the tune appears in their repertoire. Kate Walsh is one such artist who not only sings songs, but shares with her audience experiences. A remarkable artist.
