Sharon Van Etten

One Liner: Perfectly pleasant folky rock that I've already forgotten

Wikipedia Genre: Indie rock, folk, folk rock
Home: NYC

Poster Position: 9
Day: Saturday at 5:30
Weekend One Only.

Thoughts: Seeing her on this poster made me realize that Netflix still hasn't released the second season of that weird ass show The OA.  Where did that show go?  And do I actually care to get to the bottom of that weird lady who likes to hang out in vacant houses with children?  Anyway, Sharon Van Etten was one of the actors in that show, she was one of the others locked up in the basement for the first half of the first season.  Time for more of that weird show, Netflix people!  She also kinda looks like the cop sister from Dexter.

I've also been thinking about her more because of Greta Van Fleet being on the same poster, which makes that band name sound more like a real person and not a rock band from Frankenfarts, Michigan.

Anyhoo, this lady does indie folk rock kind of stuff.  I had never heard any of this before just now, but its pretty good.  Born in Jersey, lived in Tennessee for a bit, and now up to NYC.  Her top track is the final track on her 2014 album Are We There, called "Every Time the Sun Comes Up."  19.6 million streams.

Kind of a Cowboy Junkies vibe.  Chilled out, strummy, sunkissed tune, with some strong but relaxed vocals over the top.  Her second-most streamed tune is also from that album, "Our Love," and it has more of a synth and drum machine vibe to it, but still a laid back groove in there along with vulnerable-sounding vocals.  And "Afraid of Nothing," also on that album, is good.

In fact, that is what I'd say about her vocals overall, they have a vulnerability to them, kind of reluctant or hurt, like she's coping with something painful and the music is helping her to get that dealt with.  Her third most streamed song is "We Are Fine," from 2012's Tramp.  5.2 million streams.

Uggh.  I must have searched for health food in my browser or something, because now I get this same add for something called SunBasket before each video I watch, that wants to tell me all about eating great vegan food or something.  So annoying to hear frequently.  Anyway, another generally OK tune.

She's got a handful of albums - 2010's Because I Was in Love, 2010's Epic, 2012's Tramp, and 2014's Are We There.  She has a reissue of that Because I Was in Love one, but I'm not sure why?  The 2014 album seems to be the most streamed, the most popular.  Its OK.  Nothing on any of these albums is really lighting me up, but I guess that one has the best stuff?  Come to think of it, its a little weird that she is on this lineup at all, with nothing new since 2014, but even more so, why is she on the 9th line?  This music is chill and nice and all that, but I could almost guarantee that if I walked the halls of my office and asked people if they knew a song by her, the answer would be no.  Odd.

You know what she slays though?  The "To Lay Me Down" cover on the Day of the Dead compilation put together by the National guys.

Doubt I'd go see this one, even if I was going to be there Weekend One.