GALLERY/REVIEW: EVANORA:UNLIMITED, ELIAS RONNENFELT, JOHN FM AND VOYEUR AT COLONY WOODSTOCK
05/09 @ Colony Woodstock, Woodstock, NY
Photos by Maggie Aulman
There are few venues left in America where once an artist leaves the stage, they can hang out in the crowd and casually speak one-on-one with the audience, sit at the bar, and play pool upstairs. At Colony Woodstock, that spirit is still very much alive and why so many artists are still drawn to this small town.
Elias Ronnenfelt, Evanora:Unlimited, John FM, and voyeur all delivered phenomenal sets at Colony Woodstock earlier this month; earning their respect in town through a commitment to artistry and a desire to innovate their sound, while also honoring the musical communities they draw inspiration from. As this was the smallest venue on their tour, audience members were lucky to witness these four artists in an intimate setting even though most of them are typically selling out large venues in major cities. The show felt more like a house party than a concert held in one of Woodstock’s longest-standing creative hubs. As a venue by and for the tight local community, the bands embraced that by talking with the audience, taking requests, and asking about the local music history.
The night opened with NYC-based noise rock band voyeur, who welcomed the opportunity to be experimental in this setting. Sharleen Chidiac twirled and screamed on stage and in the audience, while Max Freedberg (Porches), Jake Lavovick (Sitcom), and Issac Eiger (Strange Ranger) heightened the sometimes unsettling, hypnotic tension of the group through their jams.
John FM surprised the audience by playing not on the main stage, but on Colony’s upright house piano, in a dark corner to the right of the bar, illuminated by candlelight. This is the only venue on this tour where he has played a full piano instead of his keyboard. Doing so made the powerful moments of his set feel even stronger as he channeled the energy of those musicians who played this instrument over Colony’s long history.
Evanore:Unlimited, joined by Alexander Bazzi on drums, played an hour-long set that moved between surrealist acoustic ballads and Bay Area rap. Still in his pajamas from the night before, Evanora paused frequently to speak to the audience and take requests, pulling out tracks from various folders on his laptop. It was a great surprise when he played some songs from his other project, Marjorie W.C. Sinclair — not something he does every show. Only Evanora can seamlessly move an audience from moshing and crowd surfing to swaying with lighters raised.
Elias Ronnenfelt, joined by Bazzi again on drums and Topaz Faerie on bass, closed the night with a set of songs from his two solo albums as well as his collaborative one with Dean Blunt, lucre, and a couple Iceage tracks. His performance carried the spirit of the blues, reggae, and folk traditions that have greatly influenced his music as well as the Hudson Valley. No matter how internationally recognized an artist may be, at Colony they are respected and valued for their artistry, not their fame. It’s a place where artists can live as creative people, without the ills of celebrity.
That feeling has been a central pillar of what made Woodstock the creative hub it was even before the 1960s — a place where artists can live, experiment, collaborate and build community outside the pressures of bigger cities. Unfortunately, Woodstock’s demographics have changed due to rising rents and an influx of wealthy investors, making it a difficult space for young working class artists to move to. I spoke with audience members mostly in their twenties about our shared experiences driving 30 minutes to two hours to attend the show and how many are still drawn to Woodstock’s artistic spirit despite it being difficult for young people to live there. These bands and this audience made me feel hope that maybe this can change. Programming musicians like these in communities like Woodstock is a great act of resistance to cultural erosion.
