LIVE: Emily Wolfe Heats Up The Linda with Magnetic Guitar, Vocals on 2/14/20
Nipper fans, it was freezing outside.
Thank goodness Emily Wolfe was in Albany at The Linda for Valentine’s Day to bring some heat with her magnetic vocals and blues-rock rumble of the guitar. An Austin, Texas native who joked that “anything below 40 is cold,” Wolfe and her band steamed things up with her bold guitar playing.
Wolfe’s band took the stage after two opening acts: solo guitar player, singer and songwriter Tom West, and local Albany band This Strange Paradise. To say the three acts differed from each other would be an understatement. West’s songwriting showed how form can match content, with lyrics like “Taking My Time” sung after deliberately longer pauses to emphasize his pensive words. Accompanied by a single guitar being strummed, heart-opening lyrics from songs like “Antarctica” brought The Linda to a quiet moment of rapture. It was storytelling folk at its best, complete with on pitch whistling and a connection with the artist’s life experiences to the audience. West turned The Linda into a listening room with audience members almost breathing together.
This Strange Paradise, a local Nippertown band, quickly changed the pace and energy moments later. Heavy on synthesizer, the five band members recall with great respect the vibe of ’80s rock. The indie rock band played with heavy bass, incongruent dissonance, and otherworldly vocals that begged to be considered as psychedelic rock.
And then Emily Wolfe took the stage with her roadhouse, take no prisoners rock ‘n roll style that brought the room to its feet. Strong right from the start, Wolfe pulls off some technical licks on her guitar and makes it look easy.
Wolfe was gritty and managed a powerfully tight sound. Relying upon a reverb pedal, Wolfe is able to create a looping that keeps performances exciting and unique. Her melodies sound like they are going places, walking you right on the dance floor to jump and sway.
Emily Wolfe has stopped in Albany before, and will likely stop again. If you like rock music with a sultry, bluesy side, make sure you warm up your night with her.
She’s definitely worth going out in the cold for.
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