Angel Olsen’s Valentine’s Day Concert at The Wiltern Moves Fans

Andrew Gomez

Headlining at The Wiltern last night on Valentine’s Day was the enchanting singer-songwriter Angel Olsen. Backed by her five other band mates sporting identical grey suits with pencil ties, Olsen rocked a red pinstripe shirt and red skirt with red fishnet tights. The stage was decorated with balloons and a backdrop of shimmering party curtains.

Olsen showcased her dynamic vocals throughout a captivating set. The six-piece group kicked things off with a crowd favorite “Never Be Mine,” off Olsen’s latest record, “My Woman.” Olsen played while wearing a large smile throughout the show, despite the melancholic lyrics. The sweet and cheerful sound revitalized the enthusiastic audience as they continued to smile and sway in sync with the hit tunes. Her other band members joined in during the more upbeat tune, “HI-Five,” off their praised album, “Burn Your Fire For No Witness.” The folk-singer also showed off her powerful vocals and raw emotion during the familiar hit, “Shut Up Kiss Me.”

Olsen slowed things down by performing a mixture of softer tunes from her recent and older records. With her sweet vocals and charm she engaged the entire audience so much that even during the calmer moments of her performance the  crowd ignored the usual temptation of pulling out their cell phones and starting distracting conversations. Eventually, Olsen awakened the crowd from their trance by unleashing her rock and roll powerhouse persona with “Not Gonna Kill You.”

For the encore, she delighted fans by performing her last two songs including “Intern,” on the keyboards with only one guitar alongside an additional keyboardist in the band. For the finale, Olsen closed out the show with a well-received performance of  “Woman,” where the whole band joined in to belt out the ballad’s iconic lines.

People tend to compare Olsen with other female musicians, but after last night’s performance, it is certainly evident that Angel Olsen is a uniquely talented artist with original sounds that can not be mistaken for any of her fellow contemporaries.

Angel Olsen performed at The Wiltern on Feb. 14.