In 2020, the self-titled debut album was released by a new supergroup, Bonny Light Horseman. The group consists of the incredible Anais Mitchell, Eric D. Johnson (Fruit Bats), and Josh Kaufman. For what may have started as a side project, the group is becoming a must-know name in indie-folk circles. On Monday, the supergroup joined Anais Mitchell in a seemingly co-headlining event. Each musician put on a beautiful show for a Valentine’s Day crowd at Webster Hall.
Mitchell took the stage with the aforementioned group as the opener of the show, and they set the tone in what became a wonderful evening. The group nearly immediately joked about the nature of playing a Valentine’s Day concert with songs whose themes often touch on the tragedies of love. The whole crowd had a fantastic energy. There was something special about a crowd of people that on Valentine’s Day chose to be at Webster Hall to see an artist they love.
Bonny Light Horseman is a masterclass of a group with the way they play music. Josh Kaufman is a magician creating the textures and tones for the indie-folk outfit. Anais and Eric have this enchanting almost tug-of-war as they trade off on lead vocals. It’s not a competitive tug-of-war, it’s a collaborative one, one where each artist seems to build off one another and the set got more special as the night went on. It was one of the openers that you don’t want to end despite being there for the headlining act. However, this time the voice in the opener could be heard again and Anais took the stage as a solo act.
Anais Mitchell
Following a quick break, Anais Mitchell and her band returned to the stage. After what was a beautiful opening set, the energy in the room began to grow. Where many entered as strangers, the intimate setting gave you the feeling that you were in a room of friends. Even if you didn’t exchange words with the people in the crowd next to you, they felt like friends due to the special night the art created.
Anais alternated back and forth between the guitar and piano. The evening was a unique opportunity to play some of her stripped-back personal songs from her new self-titled album.
There were some major Hadestown (the Grammy Award-winning album that later became a Tony Award-winning musical that was written by Mitchell) fans in the crowd. It was fun to feel their excitement when Eric returned to the stage to sing the parts of Orpheus in an enchanting display.
Song after song the night continued to build on one another. It was one you didn’t want to end. Couples in attendance hit a home run for their Valentine’s Day evening. Singles, or at least for me, felt far from alone while enjoying the beautiful night of music put on by some of the best artists one can see.
See more of Bonny Light Horseman here.
For more of Anais Mitchell visit here website, Instagram, and Twitter.
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