Folk, blues duo comes to The Bishop

American folk and blues filled The Bishop as Jolie Holland and Matt Bauer performed Thursday.

Although an acoustic and electric guitar were used on stage, Holland showcased her voice by singing the songs from her new album.

“The first time I heard her was seven years ago, and I thought to myself this is what I have been waiting for,” graduate student Natalie Mengel said.

Mengel added this was the third time she saw Holland perform.

“She can tell a complete story in one song by using the roots of American music storytelling in blues and folk,” she said.

Holland and Bauer fused together to perform “Black Light Horses,” which will appear on Bauer’s next album.

Bauer said he started playing the banjo about seven years ago. He described his arrangement of music similar to early David Bowie and Gamelan music from Southeast Asia.

“Some songs can be six to eight minutes with a lot of instrumental or none at all, but forget the standard and say what you need to say to shape the song,” he said.

Freshman Becca Jones said she connected with Bauer because she spent half of her life growing up in his hometown of Lexington, Ky. Many of Bauer’s lyrics also include references to Lexington’s horseracing.

“I can really connect with that laid-back bluesy sound,” Jones said.