Show Review: Watchhouse / Yasmin Williams – Durham Performing Arts Center (November 20, 2021)
What a special evening at DPAC last night. I am not sure I have ever seen an opening act hold such a large audience in her hands the way Yasmin Williams did. Her playing is mesmerizing and soulful. And her engagement with the audience between songs–explaining her approach to percussive guitar, the instruments she uses, how she’s developed as a guitarist–is quite simply endearing. I got to chat with Yasmin for our podcast last summer, and her stage demeanor is as easy as talking to her on the phone. I loved hearing “Juvenescence,” and “Through the Woods,” live, and Yasmin’s cover of “Sunflower,” was really fun.
From the first song, “Wondrous Love,” Watchhouse performed with their signature understated brilliance. Andrew Marlin and Emily Frantz sing together like they were born to do so. Josh Oliver plays guitar like he’s helping you hear something possible; Andrew’s solos on mandolin are never showy or about proving how fast he can play, but are always about serving the song. I don’t know of another band that wears their world-class skill with such humility.
“Belly of the Beast” was one of my favorites from the new album in this set. It’s that perfect bridge of where the band has been and where they might be headed. It’s got a waltzy feel to it, but the chorus then shifts the tempo and the sonic layers in the song are so deep. I also loved “Lonely Love Affair,” with this beautiful, lilting guitar riff behind Andrew’s vocals and the instrumental, “Coming Down from Green Mountain,” (maybe a reference to our beloved Green Mountain Bluegrass & Roots festival?) was so fun because the whole band seemed to be grinning as they played off each other. “Nightbird,” was amazing to hear in this venue in particular because it is both so simple and so lush, and the acoustics in a place like DPAC make you feel like the sound is taking you in.
The set was focused on the new record, but also featured fantastic selections from the back catalogue, when Watchhouse was known as Mandolin Orange. “Hey Stranger,” was a highlight, with the band gathered around one microphone. A fan made a request for “That Wrecking Ball,” from Such Jubilee. It wasn’t on the set list, but they obliged. Andrew asked him his name, and then said, “Hey y’all, this one’s for Kevin Bryant.” You have to love that kind of responsiveness and appreciation that many of the folks listening with rapt attention in one of the nicest venues in the state have been there all along, from bars to barns and, now, concert halls. After they finished, Emily said, “Nat’s never even played that song before,” but Nat Smith (cello, keyboards) seemed to hold his own just fine. It probably helps that he, Josh Oliver, and Clint Mullican are also members of Andrew Marlin’s instrumental group and they just listen to each other so well.
Toward the end of the set, Emily introduced “Wildfire,” the historical examination of how racism has been given oxygen in this country, by referencing the not-guilty verdict in the Kyle Rittenhouse trial. It is another example, she said, of our justice system upholding white supremacy, and she wanted that stated explicitly. “Wildfire” traces our country’s lie of racial difference from Joseph Warren, for whom Andrew’s hometown is named, to where we are today, “caught in the wildfire.” And even with the clarity of the lyrics, and Emily’s introduction, someone still cheered when Andrew sang his lament that “I was born a southern son, in a small southern town / Where the rebels run wild, beat their chests, and swear they’re gonna rise again.” But when he cheered, Andrew spotted him in the crowd and gave him the finger, resulting in the biggest cheer of the night.
My younger brother first recommended Mandolin Orange to me maybe eight or nine years ago. I looked them up on daytrotter, which was my go-to music discovery place for a while, and was immediately hooked. They were playing music I felt like I knew already. It was lovely and beautiful. With their new record and new name, Watchhouse, I feel like a passenger on this exciting exploration on where roots music can go. We have examined the familiar; now it’s time to look up and around to see what else is out there. I can’t wait.
Make sure to check the tour dates for Watchhouse and Yasmin Williams. And check out our full gallery on the RLR facebook page!