Folk singer-songwriter Haley Bonar brought her haunting vocals and poetic lyrics to The Bishop Sunday night after strong performances by opening acts Sin Ropas and local family band Blue Cut.
Bethany Latham, Blue Cut’s guitarist and vocalist, impressed sophomore Michelle Sybert.
“I really liked her unique voice and it was neat to see her playing a frontless bass at her age,” Sybert said.
17-year-old Bethany Latham and her 15-year-old brother, Jacob Latham, who is also in the band, learned how to play “Two Days of Darkness” by The Bellville Outfit earlier that morning to perform on stage Sunday night.
Bethany Latham said Molly O’Brien, The Beatles, Kate Rusby and Wailin Jennys influence her.
“I tend to write really emotional songs that are most inspired by sadness,” she said.
Bethany Latham said Blue Cut will hopefully be playing more festival, but does know how long they will be playing together.
“Jacob is going to be famous,” she said. “He is ridiculously talented for his age.”
The next performers, duo of Dani Iosello and Tim Hurley known as Sin Ropas, have been playing music together for 10 years.
“Our music seems to get more pop, shying away from experimental, which is hard for some people to listen,” Iosello said.
Iosello said Beethoven and Led Zepplin influence her, while Hurley is influenced by The Kinks.
Indianapolis resident California Way drove to see Sin Ropas perform for the first time.
“I like their laid back relaxed sound and Danni is incredibly talented,” Way said.
Sin Ropas will release their new record “Holy Broken” in January, then tour in Europe beginning in February and the United States in March.
“I was excited to work tonight because I like Haley’s vocals a lot,” said senior Tim Smiley, who is the house sound engineer for The Bishop.
“It is good to be back in your fair state, yeah, we like it here in Bloomington,” Bonar said to the intimate audiencen as she performed hits from her 2008 album “Big Star.”
IU staff member Chelsea Sanders has seen Bonar perform in Bloomington before at Bear’s Place and The Buskirk-Chumley Theater when opening for Andrew Bird.
“I think her angelic, real voice is as good as any mainstream artist,” Sanders said, “Today is my birthday and this is the icing on the birthday cake.”
