Hooves on the Turf

The last time I saw Sharon Van Etten was when we filmed our very first Secret Garden show in July. Since then she’s been been touring and playing an endless number of local shows. When I saw her at Pianos this past Sunday, she had recently returned from Portland after the making of a music video for “For You”, and she said that she was planning to perhaps take it a little slow. I bet not that much slower, though, since there is a new album possibly coming out in May. Unlike the “home recordings” I’ve heard of her and the way she plays live solo, I hear this one is going to have a more produced instrumentation.

Onward for the movie feature presentation premiere exclusive blockbuster!

There were quite a few things happening at Pianos that night: Sharon’s set was squeezed between a comedy show and Camper Van Beethoven’s double-set secret show, followed by a whole different late show, which meant that she had time only for five songs, out of which 3 1/2 are captured here. They dimmed the lights halfway through, for whatever reason, but she sounds gorgeous–not necessarily “pretty” in the “everything’s going to be okay, the world is so beautiful, I am so sweet” way; more like she was wallowing from the depth of her entrails, which is way better. She’s up for “Best NYC Based Artist of 2008″ over at The Deli Magazine, if you’d like to vote.

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ps. I put the last song twice. I’ll fix that later.

Websites: Sharon Van Etten

Pianos,
New York, NY
Jan 11, 2009