Concert Review + Photos: Angelo de Augustine
Even though it was a Tuesday night at the Great American Music Hall in San Francisco, the mood was calm and collected. You would expect that many of the guests would still have the early-week jitters, but most straggling into the venue appeared to have just completed their work day and want to enjoy the sweet sounds of Angelo de Augustine and Moses Sumney. Angelo was opening for Moses and the sequence between the two sets was quite an impressive lineup.
Angelo de Augustine is a Los Angeles-based musician who’s minimalistic style and haunting echo has proven to be quite a wonderful combination. Carrying only an acoustic guitar and a stool as he walks on the stage, Angelo manages to capture the complete attention of everyone in the crowd. His performance begins with a simple guitar riff that slowly calms the ambiance of the room, then just as you’re getting comfortable, Angelo’s falsetto tones offer the perfect amount of rawness that gets your heart to slow its beat.
As I was maneuvering through the crowd taking pictures, a few people seemed startled by the snapping of the lens. At many concerts, it can get so loud that you can barely hear the person next to you. But here, it was so silent that people were caught off guard by my camera. The crowd appeared to be locked into his performance, swaying from side to side and staring up at the stage longingly. While that dead silence did not last for the duration of the show, it was impactful on many. I overheard a few people talking about how calm and relaxed they were after hearing something so soothing.
Angelo has an interesting backstory, at one point developing whooping cough, which debilitated his voice for months. Once he was back and ready to sing again, he decided to record his album at home, in his bathroom. According to Angelo, “…when you sing off a reflective surface you hear two voices. One is the representation of yourself and the other is similar to a shadow that follows the sound. I was compelled to isolate that voice and bring it more to the front of the songs because in many ways I feel more connected to and comforted by that voice following me.”
Angelo signed to Sufjan Steven’s Asthmatic Kitty Records and released a music video earlier this year for his song Crazy, Stoned & Gone. The video was animated by Sufjan himself and you can watch the full-length video here. Both Sufjan and Angelo have similar sounds, so if you are into Sufjan, you’ll be pleasantly surprised with Angelo’s music. Check our Angelo’s new album Swim Inside the Moon below.
Overall, Angelo’s performance was appeasing and left you feeling slightly vulnerable. Angelo impressively commands the audience’s attention with a guitar and his vocals, at times leaving the entire room silent. If Angelo is coming to a venue near you, I would highly recommend catching his set. The combination of Angelo and Moses Sumney will definitely leave you feeling warm on the inside.
