‘Quirky’ harpist fills Buskirk with indie sounds

A line of fans eager to see singer-songwriter Joanna Newsom stretched from the doors of the Buskirk-Chumley Theater to South Washington Street toward East Third Street on Thursday as the sun went down two-and-a-half hours prior to the show.

In the front of the line stood senior Amber Hansen. Her choice of seat might be surprising, though. Unlike the rest of the anxiously awaiting fans who rushed to stand at the front of the stage, Hansen and her three friends wanted the front row of the balcony.

“Her music is calm and not something you are going to stand and dance to necessarily,” Hansen said.

Hansen started listening to Newsom’s album “Milk-Eyed Member” when it was first released in 2004. Newsom performed both “The Book of Right-On” and gave an encore with “Peach, Plum, Pear,” both tracks from the album.

Junior Elizabeth Hadley said she thinks Newsom is bringing something great to the indie music scene.

“You don’t see anyone playing the harp, that’s for damn sure,” Hadley said.
Hadley also described Newsom’s vocals as quirky and endearing.

“Unfortunately, I can’t say anything about her voice that Pitchfork or any other music magazine hasn’t said already because it’s really accurate ... they describe her voice as a little girl that sounds like she inhaled helium,” Hadley said.

Spirit of ’68 Promotions founder Dan Coleman booked Newsom for Thursday’s performance.

“I was working with her agent for a long time, and if someone says ‘do you want Joanna?’ you don’t say no,” Coleman said. “It’s just one more show that doesn’t normally happen here.”

Graduate students Erik Hammerstrom and Aimee Hamilton agreed that the Buskirk-Chumley Theater, as opposed to a big stadium in Indianapolis, was the perfect venue for Newsom because of her funky style.

“She can play anything and I’d be happy,” Hammerstrom said. “Her music has cinematic qualities, and the pieces tend to have a lot of development.”

Hamilton, who has been listening to Newsom for the past five years, said she liked that Newsom doesn’t produce the typical three-minute pop song.

Newsom opened the show with “81” and performed “Baby Birch” and “Easy” from her new album, “Have One on Me.”

Sophomore Wesley Pettyjohn said he cried through “Baby Birch” for personal reasons.
“I’m from Kentucky where there is traditional folk and bluegrass, and I really like that she’s reinterpreting that into her music,” Pettyjohn said.

Elizabeth Strother, a student at Ivy Tech University in Indianapolis, said she came out to see Robin Pecknold, opener and Fleet Foxes’ lead singer, perform solo.

Strother said she has been listening to Pecknold since 2008 and loves his voice.

“It’s pure and I enjoy how his songwriting is different,” Strother said. Strother said Pecknold creates really unique songs, as opposed to pop music where there is a verse, chorus and bridge.

“It says a lot about him as a person that he’s not just playing the big stage but coming to small towns where he’ll be appreciated,” Pecknold said.