For a woman who often sings of her troubles with men, Willow Avalon looked very comfortable onstage surrounded by her suited 5-piece male backing band, her mic stands wrapped in flowers. Her warm personality and disarming broken-hearted stories and lyrics-forward songs immediately made me a new fan. After seeing her perform, it's no surprise that she's starting to hit the festival circuit and spending time on the Americana music charts.
Show support consisted of Darryl Rahn (band member) who opened the show, and a beautiful set by Anna Bates which included a solid cover of Lord Huron's "The Night We Met" as well as her own "Holy Smokes".
Highlights of Willow's set included "Honey Ain't No Sweeter", "The Actor", and a fantastic cover of Chappell Roan's "Casual" with guest Claire Shaner. She told a hilarious story about the encore "Homewrecker" - finding out her new boyfriend was married by finding his mother's Insta and seeing him in a tux.
Willow is one of those people who has lived a lot of life for someone who is only 25. And despite her heartbreaks and the tough times that have inspired her earlier songs, her unreleased gem "Georgia Mile" showed hope that despite the romantic setbacks, things might be changing for the better. She mentioned the song as one of her proudest moments as a songwriter.
"I've got a good one now
And he's sweeter than a honeysuckle
Softer than a Sunday choir
Hotter than the Texas asphalt
Prettier than a Georgia Mile"
In her first headling tour, this show felt like a great time and venue to see this artist on her way up to bigger audiences and stages.
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