Andy Shauf.
Shot and written by Serena Yang
April 28th, 2023
Ottawa, ON @ Bronson Center
Last Friday on April 28th, the Music Enthusiast had the opportunity to catch Andy Shauf’s tour in Ottawa at the Bronson Center, for a night of mellow and ambient live music.
Marina Allen
The show was opened by singer/songwriter Marina Allen, a solo act joining Andy on his tour all the way from Los Angeles. Standing under a single spotlight, she played songs from her two albums, Candlepower (2021) and Centrifics (2022) accompanied only by her acoustic guitar. Her voice rang through the venue with a gentle tone and clear falsetto as she sang candidly and wistfully, her honesty reminiscent of acts such as Joni Mitchell and Fiona Apple. My favorite song from her set was Original Goodness, its lyrics and melody evoking feelings of ache and introspection.
Andy Shauf
After a long and eager wait, the crowd erupted into applause as Andy took the stage, but quickly quieted down as the Saskatchewan native and his five-piece band started to play. All the instrument and microphone stands were wrapped in vines; the stage was dimly lit with leaf-shaped shadows casted on the performers and walls, bringing to life the obscure and cryptic mood of Norm (2023). Not an ideal lighting situation from my perspective as a photographer, but it was a clever nod to how the main character in the album hid behind trees to spy on his crush in the storyline. Even up close in the front row, it was difficult to see Andy’s face. He would step out of the light whenever a verse was finished or during any interludes, as if he was hiding and peeking through the leaves. His demeanor during the few breaks in between songs where he’d address the audience was soft-spoken, during one break a crowd member yelled: “Where are you drinking after this?” to which Shauf responded straight-faced with: “I’m 3 years sober but we’ll see how tonight goes.” His reserved composure should not be conflated with timidness however, as his hour-long set proved without a doubt that he and his band are a group of highly refined and proficient musicians.
The set opened with his single Wasted On You from his latest 2023 album, Norm. This newest addition to his discography takes the unsettling perspective of Norm, a fictional lovesick stalker who kidnaps the character of his obsession. Wasted On You cleverly passes as a breakup song that laments over a failed relationship as the narrator repeats: “Was all my love wasted on you?” But upon a closer listen, you can hear that Andy is actually writing from the perspective of God, casually planning with Jesus about what will happen when people die. “What happens when they die?/ Maybe eternal life, but only if they find me/ Maybe I'll send you down, give them a clue/ Then they'll kill you.” Another song from the set that showcases this characteristic wit and humor in his songwriting is Halloween Store, also from the latest record. Halloween Store tells the story of the protagonist leaving his house to go to the Halloween store, but as he gets in his car he decides to double check if he locked his front door. He accidentally snaps the car handle, realizes the keys to his house were in his car, and says to himself: “At least I locked one door”. Though most of the setlist were from Norm, he also sprinkled in fan favorites from previous albums as well: “Quite Like You” and “To You” from The Party (2016); and “Neon Skyline”, “Thirteen Hours”, and “Living Room” from Neon Skyline (2020).
Upon listening to the studio versions of his music, it is difficult to fathom how the elaborate arrangements could be played completely live by just a six-member band. However, Shauf on his guitar, and his bandmates on the drums, bass, clarinet, flute, and keys, manage to translate his orchestrally complex recordings into a feasibly tourable live performance, which remains impressive and true conveyances of the studio recordings. Andy’s voice sounded exactly as it had on the record, completely accurate to the original quality and inflections as it skipped up and down his chromatic melodies. One of my favorite moments of the night was when Shauf’s drummer, Phil Melanson, broke out into a drum solo as an interlude between “Thirteen Hours” and “Living Room”. The quiet and soft atmosphere in the venue was momentarily disrupted, as the crowd witnessed a disciplined musician loosen up and flex his own unique style.
The concert ended with the band coming back out to play “The Magician” as an encore, one of Andy’s most iconic and successful tracks. It was endearing to hear the entire venue of fans swaying their heads and quietly singing along with the “Doo doo doo doo doo” vocalizations in the song, slowly until fading out.
Andy Shauf’s live show is one which speaks for itself - he doesn’t need excessive charismatic banter with the crowd or flashy light shows to keep them enthralled in his performance. During his tour, he manages to bring his characters and stories to life through an expertly arranged and stripped performance. It’s clear that Shauf understands how to make live music an immersive and connecting experience through not much more than the talent and artistry of him and his band alone.
