In a 2017 interview with SLM, Angel Olsen confided that in her teen years she “really, really wanted to be the cool chick playing music.”
Well, we’ve got news for the now-adult Angel Olsen. You’ve made it. The St. Louis–born singer-songwriter, who now calls Asheville, North Carolina, home, headlined in St. Louis via Chesterfield at The Factory on January 28 for the seventh stop on her 19-date tour.
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Nashville-based solo artist Erin Rae opened the night with about 45 minutes of her folk-pop, country-laced tunes. Armed with just her guitar, Rae warmed up the growing crowd with stripped-down, serene songs that wafted through the cavernous Factory space, pulling people in closer.
Olsen and the Big Time Band then performed a solid 90-minute set for devoted hometown fans. The vibes fluctuated between dreamy and sublime and a little bit angsty as Olsen and crew led the crowd on an emotional journey from soul-crushing heartache and grief to the promise of a brighter, lighter, happier day.
Under a bright white spotlight, Olsen, dressed in all black, kicked the night off at 9:05 p.m. with the silky soft “Dream Thing.” The next three songs were also from her latest album, Big Time, which was released to much fanfare in June 2022.
She then told the crowd she had been inspired the previous night to write “this next little ditty.” “Thinking we should try it tonight for the first time ever,” she continued. “We’re still trying to figure it out a little.” The song turned out out to be Olsen’s 2016 hit “Shut Up Kiss Me.” She then deadpanned, “that’s about it … we got some Imo’s pizza and toasted ravioli to get to.”
Of course, that wasn’t the end. The band kept on for about another hour, to the delight of the 900 or so fans gathered at The Factory. “This place is new, right?” Olsen asked about the venue. “Off Broadway is my favorite.” Between songs, Olsen also reminisced about growing up in St. Louis and playing with her teenage bands.
Rolling Stone has said of Olsen, “She’s Roy Orbison, she’s Patsy Cline, she’s Willie Nelson. She’s Angel Olsen, fully and completely, making the past decade of her career feel like a warmup.”
We can’t wait to see what’s next.
For more photos from the night, visit bit.ly/AOlsen23cz.
