This happens year after year: winter wears on me. I feel so sick of the snow, the howling wind, the feeling of cold in my bones that I can’t keep out with a million radiators. I ask myself, “Why do I live in this cold city?” And then, someone as fantastic as Hanne Hukkelberg comes along and pulls me out of it with a radiance of her own. I come to realize…it’s not just the fact that there are people as creative as her in existence that make life worthwhile but the fact that we live in a city committed to supporting international bands and musicians like her. It makes you start to realize that, when this is possible, there is much less isolation. Instead, ideas are shared and you’re filled with a sense of awe and luck. At the end of the day, seeing someone as creative as Hanne from Oslo, Norway changes you in a positive way.
Download: Hanne Hukkelberg - "Cheaters Armoury"
Opening for Hanne was Haley Bonar, a stunningly beautiful singer/songwriter from St. Paul, Minnesota. She appears very innocent looking and unassuming as if just a small town girl with a tattered guitar. It’s obvious she has some passion and clearly defined musical tastes of her own, with her cover of Dolly Parton’s Jolene and Tom Petty’s Yer so Bad (which happens to be my personal favorite Tom Petty track) but her own songs seem to be in early incarnations of what they could eventually become. Her lyrics are a bit clichéd and sophomoric though they are undoubtedly something many women of her age and younger can relate to. In that way, she may be more accessible to a mainstream audience than an indie one if she polishes up her songs. I would have also liked to have heard her being backed by other band members to make the songs fuller and a little less plain.
Hanne Hukkelberg, on the other hand, was anything but ordinary. As a five piece, the songs came off as full and rich as those in her most recent album Rykestrasse 68. In some ways, the songs recall the British band PSAPP though a little less cutesy. The albums and live set are full of life and complete with accordion and tuba in addition to the keyboard, guitar, bass, and drums. Hanne herself appeared arty and expressive as well as appreciative for the applause given to her. Her vocals alone come off as a Scandinavian Fiona Apple and have a certain distinctive quality that makes them memorable.
Hanne played for under an hour but each song felt complete and not lacking in any way. The setlist was composed mainly of songs from her newest release which are mainly originals aside from her cover The Pixies Break My Body She slows down this song to an almost unrecognizable lull in which it becomes more tragic than the original eccentric rock song. As a special treat, she also covered the classic Kinks song All Day and All of the Night as an encore for an audience whose adoration could not be mistaken.
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