Soft, delicate whispers of a voice, like the one a mother uses to sing her child asleep, swelled into the crowd. Standing there, before the glassy bottomed backdrop of Baby’s All Right, Tamara Lindeman, of The Weather Station, bore her soul. On Wednesday night at 9pm, the group performed as a trio with bass, drums, and guitar. Lindeman was playing electric when she began plucking gentle chords into the air and singing about being a traveler in her own home. Her band joined in with faint background vocals, ambient rhythm, and soothing low end to an angelic effect.
“Your kind words came so easy and I half winced at the sugar sweetness. Made me feel so wealthy so I got tongue-tied, I got restless…” After Came So Easy, there was a gentle applause and then a silence until someone said, “Play it again!” Lindeman’s stage banter was playful as she introduced her drummer as “sensitive” and her bassist as “a solid individual.” The audience was certainly included in the performance as Lindeman frequently engaged in the crowd’s commentary and genuine feedback for her music.
The Weather Station
TWS
The songwriting of Lindeman can be felt before it is heard. The melodies are so buoyant and circular that sometimes it’s easy to miss the lyrics entirely. But with a second listen or a quick Google search, you can see that the poignant energy in the room can be explained by her words: “I’m older now than you ever were, or ever would become,” from her song, Tapes. Are you kidding me? And the accompaniment of the haunting “Ohs” just speaks volumes to the depth of her soul that has carved such a special place for this memory.
TWS
TWS
As I moved gently around the room for different camera angles, the crowd was completely still and seemingly unperturbed by my maneuvering. There was even a feeling like I was invisible because the concentration was so intense. But being invisible wouldn’t explain the joy I seemed to be sharing with this room full of strangers. Like we were all in line for communion at church! I felt the joy from within and it started with what The Weather Station was sharing on stage.
TWS
TWS
Towards the middle of the set, Lindeman played a Kurt Vile cover and dubbed it as, “a song of ownership” for her life. The tune was KV Crimes and it was one of the more up-tempo tunes she performed. During this song her guitar overpowered her voice but the sound balanced out by the second chorus.
TWS
TWS
The Weather Station is currently on a national tour performing tracks off the latest record, Loyalty. They have one more date left in January in Philadelphia, three dates in February and a packed month of March tackling SXSW on the 15th.
TWS
The Weather Station
Crying and listening to Loyalty over and over again in my bedroom is an exfoliating experience for sure, but being amongst people hearing this woman sing these songs live, well that’s where community is created. I want to applaud Lindeman’s boldness in singing to the hearts of her audience and making something new. I can hardly wait to see her perform live the next time we’re in the same city.
Article: Tiffany Wilson
