Robin Pecknold, Levon Helm Studios, Woodstock, New York, November 14, 2024
Robin Pecknold confesses a case of nerves after taking the stage — or the rug, to be more accurate — in Levon Helm Studios, a rustic space in the woods of Woodstock. He blames his mood on the moment: this is the first full-length, fully solo show he’s ever done, the start of a nine-date solo mini-tour crossing North America. Yes, there had been A Very Lonely Solstice, the 2020 pandemic livestream-turned-LP, in which his solo arrangements were abetted by a white-robed, socially-distanced choir. But tonight he is on his own, with five acoustic guitars and a pedal board, though conceivably less lonely, among roughly 200 fans who’d managed to snag tickets, which sold out within minutes of going on sale. Another similarity with the 2020 pandemic show was the ambient sense of crisis, now stemming from the previous week’s presidential election. But Pecknold makes no mention of it, beyond an empathetic nod to collective grief. Instead, after a brief and beguiling opening set by New York singer-songwriter Allegra Kreiger, with light from the full moon brightening trees outside the windows, he creates a sanctuary for 90-some minutes, making the pine-and-bluestone barn feel as sacred as the Brooklyn church that staged …Lonely Solstice. … Read More →
