[ATTENDED: February 10, 2018] Van William
One of the more enjoyable experiences at a concert is watching an opening act win over an audience.
I don’t know how many people knew Van William before the show. I didn’t, although I looked him up and really enjoyed the song “Revolution.” A person behind me said, wait Van William is his name? So I’m guessing he wasn’t that well known.
Turns out that he goes by Van Pierszalowski (Van William is much easier, even if that singular tense is maddening) and is in the band Waters [who I have sience listened to and really really like] and was the frontman of the band Port O’Brien [who I also rally enjoyed–such songwriting chops on this guy].
He started the show on acoustic guitar, playing a very catchy song called “The Country.” I loved that the song started slow and then kicked in for the second verse. And when he gets to that chorus which is basically a big “whooooooa” its hard to resist. I enjoyed his delivery and the whole song of his folk rock. It was warmly received.
He told us that he was happy to be here with his best friends First Aid Kit.
And then he played the soaring “Forth of July,” And if the whoooa wasn’t big enough in “The Country” the one that opens “Fourth of July” is pretty much undeniable. It’s an instantly catchy song with a great sing along part. And the crowd definitely warmed up.
During the jamming section of “Cosmic Sign” William started bouncing up and down rocking out and we noticed that his bassist (who goes by one name, Kira) was possibly the happiest person I’ve ever seen. I am adding her to my list of super happy bassists inclusion Karina Rykman and Larz Brogan). Kira (also the one-named bassist of Black Flag) was never without a smile on her face. I’ve never seen anything like it. And her playing (and backing vocals) were terrific, too.
“Cosmic Sign” made me think how American singers can rhyme so many American place names and how it would be a lot of fun to pick place names from other countries, just to mix it up–even if you’ve never been there.
I feel asleep against the window dreaming of Alaska
And I woke up as the sun went down over Omaha, Nebraska.
and
I took a greyhound bus from Texas to Louisiana
And I chased a girl I barely knew all the way into Atlanta
He strapped on his electric guitar and told us that he wanted to do a cover by his favorite songwriter. A performer that his father had introduced him to–he said, jokingly: “this one’s for you dad.” And he and his band played a fantastic cover of Neil Young’s “Cinnamon Girl.” He got the guitar sound right, his vocal delivery was spot on and he and Kira had a kind of Crazy Horse moment as they jammed.
The crowd was now hooked.
He played one more song with that electric guitar. He said, “this song’s called “Never Had Enough of You” and a guy in the audience made a kind of groaning sound. It was a hilarious reaction and Van was all over it saying how that should be the new way to greet songs you really like.
He switched guitars to a dark hollow-bodied and introduced “Skyward” a few of us groaned and he cracked up. He loved it and he totally wailed the solo for the song.
For the final song he switched back to the acoustic and asked us to stomp as loud as we could. We did (he had won us over by now). He said he was terrified of the stomping sound on the metal barrier up front, and that they should totally do it when he called for it. He said the song was called “Before I Found You” and half the crowd groaned and he started cracking up, “I’m fucking obsessed with this now” (Van had quite the potty mouth for an all ages show). He also told us that he had the softest fucking shirts you’ve eve felt for sale.
He did not play his hit “revolution” because it was saved for the encore with First Aid Kit. When the show was over, he was selling merch and I told him I was really glad they played Revolution with First Aid Kit. He said that they used to come out during his set, but now that they added a trombone, it was just more fun during their set.
While he signed my CD, a kid came up and asked him some quetions. The crux was that Van explained that First Aid Kit opened for his band Port O’Brien in Europe. He said he;s known them for nearly ten years, and of course, that’s them on record for “Revolution: an a few other songs.
He was a great opening act and I am really happy that we had him. I see that they are touring with other bands on their tor as well, so I think we got lucky.
Setlist
- The Country
- Fourth of July
- Cosmic Sign
- Cinnamon Girl
- Never Had Enough of You
- Skyward
- Before I Found You
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