Sylvan Esso, the duo of Amelia Meath and Nick Sanborn have done quite well for themselves over the past few years, releasing two critically acclaimed albums (2014’s self-titled debut and 2017’s What Now).
Although it’s been two years since their sophomore album was released, the band has embarked on a special run of dates called “WITH” which saw their live show expanded into a full band comprised of Matt MacCaughan, Joe Westerlund, Meg Duffy, Dev Gupta, Jenn Wasner, Adam Schatz, Alexandra Sauser-Monnig & Molly Sarlé. This live line-up and stage set-up provided fans with a can’t miss opportunity to see the duo’s material brought to life in a way never done before and possibly never explored in such a fashion ever again.
The tour brought them to New York for a sold out two-night run at Beacon Theatre, of which we caught night 1 on Sunday, November 17th.
I wasn’t totally sure what to expect from the show but was totally swept away by the emotional and spiritual impact that these new interpretations of their songs had on me. They took shape in a totally new light and become something familiar yet completely new at the same time. The impact of the full band as a collective was fell throughout the night, from the new material that should hopefully appear on their eventual third album, as well as on old staples such as “Coffee,” “Radio” and “H.S.K.T.” The true MVP and scene-stealer of the night was saxophonist Adam Schatz who completely emerged countlessly throughout the night and gave songs such a new dimension that couldn’t be ignored.
We’re excited to see what the future of Sylvan Esso holds from this point on and if this version of the lineup will be found on their next album and what their next live show will bring.
For now, enjoy a gallery of photos posted below from night 1.
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