Sharon Van Etten, like Daniel Knox, who also played last night, is a direct, honest performer.

Van Etten and Knox charm intimate Cactus crowd

Published Jan. 21, 2010 at 8:41 a.m.

Last night's show by Brooklyn's Sharon Van Etten and Chicago's Daniel Knox at the Cactus Club had everything I love in a gig.

The venue is small, allowing you to get up close and see and hear every nuance; it also allows you to chat with the performers before (or after) their sets.

Both Knox and Van Etten were honest, direct, powerful performers.

And Knox, especially -- since I was already familiar with Van Etten's work -- was a revelation. Knox has a couple discs out, none of which I've yet heard.

Sadly, the show -- set up by Muzzle of Bees' Ryan Matteson and WMSE's Ryan Schleicher -- wasn't especially well attended. My count was roughly 25 on a relatively warm, quiet Thursday night in the heart of the Milwaukee winter.

After talking music with Matteson at the bar and about baseball with both Ryans, we were happy to see Knox step up onto the stage at about 10.

Knox is a bit hard to describe. An adept pianist with a distinctive, ebullient voice, Knox is personable onstage but reserved and looking a bit uncomfortable. His unaccompanied songs -- part Tin Pan Alley, part Tom Waits, part Randy Newman, part kinda operatic -- are filled with dark humor and imagery. You may laugh one minute and gasp the next.

When he carefully picks up the kazoo in one song you're prepared to chuckle, but his tasteful use of this instrument that is often treated as a throwaway toy brings you back down to Earth to admire his skill once more.

After Knox's set, Matteson and I chatted with Van Etten about road trips, her tour stops, MapQuest journeys gone awry and porcelain sinks. Yes, porcelain sinks.

Confident and comfortable offstage, Van Etten looks a little nervous up there talking to the crowd between songs, grasping her stunning red Gibson ES 135.

But during her stark songs drawn from two CDs -- her debut full-length, "Because I Was In Love" and a self-titled disc of home recordings -- she looks like she's in the zone, gazing off as she sings familiar songs like "I Wish I Knew" and "For You," alongside new material. Her voice, when it wavers a bit -- as it sometimes does -- brings to mind Beth Orton's.

Van Etten's music -- like Knox's -- is unadorned and guileless. The result Thursday night were performances by two great voices from the underground.

Talkback

Talkbacks

loneshoe | Jan. 22, 2010 at 9:14 a.m. (report)

I agree. I hate to sound like an old person, but Mad Planet starts their shows late on weekdays as well. I would have loved to have seen Van Etten at CC and Rural Alberta Advantage at Planet, but with the main band usually not even starting until midnight or later, it makes it difficult to be functional at work the next morning.

Rate this:

Average rating: 0.0
1
2
3
4
5

jetkat | Jan. 21, 2010 at 12:58 p.m. (report)

It would help if CC started their shows earlier; especially on weekdays.

Rate this:

Average rating: 0.0
1
2
3
4
5

2 comments about this article.
Post a comment / write a review.

Facebook Comments

Disclaimer: Please note that Facebook comments are posted through Facebook and cannot be approved, edited or declined by OnMilwaukee.com. The opinions expressed in Facebook comments do not necessarily reflect those of OnMilwaukee.com or its staff.

Juniper Tar

If you follow local music you can`t possibly have missed that Juniper Tar released a new record in recent weeks. "Since Before" is now available and it was worth the wait. The vinyl version is an elaborate package befitting the powerful music inside. We got a chance to ask singer and guitarist Jason Mohr about it.

Juniper Tar recaps Week 3

Most everyone knows that we are extremely fond of Old Crow bourbon, and over the past seven years we`ve accumulated enough Old Crow bottles to build a small hut. Last night was, however, the first time that we`d ever been asked to sign one! Yeah, it was one of those nights.

Exclusive Co. in-stores

This year`s Record Store Day is Saturday, April 21, and The Exclusive Company will have free performances all day at its shops on the East Side (1669 N. Farwell Ave.), in Greenfield (5026 S. 74th St.) and in West Bend (144 N. Main St.).

Hip-Hop Hates Illiteracy

Though local hip-hop raconteur and OnMilwaukee.com contributor JC Poppe has put an end to his Milwaukee UP blog chronicling Brew City hip-hop, thankfully he`s staying the course with his ongoing series of mega-gigs to raise money for great causes. Hip-Hop Hates Illiteracy takes place Friday. April 6 at the Cactus Club.