Show Review: Chelsea Wolfe @ the Mohawk (9.6)

After spending several weeks listening to Pain is Beauty by Chelsea Wolfe, I was really anticipating an incredible show on Friday.  Her voice and her continual growth led to a rather full crowd of eager lookie-loos yearning to hear her dark take on pop music.  She was joined by Dallas act True Widow who aimed to set off the night in the right way.

Read on for thoughts, and thanks to our friend Bryan at PopPress for sharing some photos with us. 

When True Widow released their latest effort, Circumambulation, it perked up a lot ears.  The trio’s blend of shoegaze and sludge gained lots of fans in a quick span of time, and they seemed a fitting group to open up the evening at Mohawk.  On their first few songs, I did enjoy the skeletal melody that was working beneath their wall of noise, but as they progressed, the sludge of the bass just grated on me.  It worked in direct contrast to everything else, sound-wise, and while I appreciate juxtaposition, this wasn’t working.  I didn’t find the band that enthused about their slot either, barely taking anytime to address the audience or even interact in some manner from the stage.  Perhaps it’s just not my thing, but the blend of sludge just became overbearing, as did the band’s indifference to the crowd.

When Chelsea Wolfe took the stage, I thought the moment was perfect.  She opened up with “We Hit a Wall,” and while her voice soared, it was the three supporting pieces that really brought the song to life.  On the album, the focus is geared towards bringing her voice to life, but in this setting, more attention was paid to filling in the empty space.  It was a strong statement to begin, followed by a few other powerful tunes from her most recent effort.

As the set wore on, I really thought her voice was incredible, managed excellently in the live show.  However, her set, which I felt was short, seemed a bit lopsided, choosing to go with some of the less abrasive songs from her catalogue during the latter half of the set.  Chelsea’s songs are passionate and brooding, and that element shown through, but the punch from the early tracks was gone.  The night ended calmly, rather than with the force it opened with, leaving a bit indifferent to Wolfe in the flesh…but I’ll admit I still adore her her recorded work.