Erika Wennerstrom has a virtuosic voice, the kind of pipes that you just want to listen to for hours. She has that deep, whiskey-drenched type of voice that just sounds like it’s been around for years. The kind of voice that makes you say, “Wait, that’s a woman singing?” And on Thursday night at the Bowery Ballroom, she broke it out in full force.
Openers The Builders and The Butchers had the chance to strut their stuff first, riding a Decemberist-esque lead singer and a pair of shaggy haired drummers to a successful set. The drummers were the heart of the group, fun to watch and integral to the energy of the band. Lead singer Ryan Sollee was engaging at the front of the ensemble, rooting their indie folk rock in organic tones while simultaneously projecting it skyward with heady lyrics and megaphones. The Builders and The Butchers strike me as a true Portland band, whatever that means. The quintet really hit their stride during their last three songs, “Short Way Home,” “Vampire Lake,” and “Golden and Green.” When one of the drummers broke out a melodica and started blowing out accordion melodies during that trio, it all made sense in the best way.
Heartless Bastards took the stage next, wasting no time in cranking up the volume. Starting mainly with older songs, they slowly worked their way forward throughout the set, finishing with a delicious glut of tunes from their stellar 2009 album The Mountain. Wennertsrom’s voice is absolutely delicious; when she unleashes it, the band is unstoppable.
Heartless Bastards weren’t flawless – the mix was a bit muddled at times and the set wore on about fifteen minutes too long – but it would be tough to fault them for their indiscretions. Wennerstrom and co. were clearly excited to be playing; multiple times throughout the evening they expressed their love for the fans, New York, and the Bowery Ballroom. That enthusiasm was contagious. Despite a set that stretched from 11pm until nearly 1am, few people made their way to the exits prematurely.
The Bastards are best when they let Wennerstrom work her voice. A few songs into the set they were joined by a violin player that did a good job of amping up the intensity, despite generally abrasive stage presence. When he and the other players took a step back, though, on songs like “So Quiet” and “Be So Happy,” the Heartless Bastards – and Erika Wennerstrom – were completely magic.
Heartless Bastards Setlist:
Done Got Old
Out at Sea
Onions
Witchy Poo
Blue Day
Into the Open
I Swallowed a Dragon Fly
So Quiet
Had To Go
All This Time
The Mountain
Sway
Hold Your Head High
Swamp Song
Nothing Seems the Same
Early in the Morning
Encore: Be So Happy
Gray
Runnin’
The Builders and The Butchers Setlist
Devil Town
Bottom of the Lake
Sea
Black Elevator
Black Dresses
Vein
Short Way Home
Vampire Lake
Golden and Green
