Joanna Newsom Takes Her Avant-Garde Folk to The Orpheum

Matt Matasci

Joanna Newsom may not be the most conventional pop star but after a decade of activity, she has risen to be one of the most recognizable names in folk and alternative music. Beginning her career with a pair of self-released extended plays, one in 2002 and the other in 2003, she went on to sign with top-flight independent label Drag City. The label released her debut “The Milk-Eyed Mender,” her sophomore effort, “Ys,” as well as her two most recent albums, “Have One on Me” in 2010 and “Divers” in 2015. Fresh off the release of her fourth full-length studio album, Newsom will play a pair of concerts at Los Angeles’ beautifully restored architectural landmark, The Orpheum Theatre.

The most striking element of the California-born singer-songwriter is her instrument of choice, the harp. Unlike most children who want to learn to play the piano or guitar, she asked her parents if she could learn the harp at the age of five. The local harp instructor suggested young Newsom learn to play the piano first but as soon as she could move to the harp she did. While Newsom first learned to perform on smaller-sized instruments by the time she was in seventh grade she had moved on to a full-sized pedal harp.

While her Drag City debut “The Milk-Eyed Mender” received strong reviews from music publications, it was “Ys” that put Newsom squarely at center stage in the indie-folk scene. Incredibly, reviews for her subsequent releases, “Have One on Me” and “Divers” have been even stronger, praising her profound lyricism, intricate instrumentation and thought-provoking songwriting style. Five years passed between her third and fourth albums and “Divers” can be considered a semi-comeback for the singer. With singles like “Sapokanikan” leading the way, it is clear that Newsom had not lost any of her ability over those handful of years. The album is her best-performing commercial release to date, peaking at number 30 on the Billboard Hot 200.

 Joanna Newsom plays The Orpheum Theatre for two nights in March. Find tickets for the March 25 appearance here. Some tickets for the March 26 concert can still be found here.