Surrounded by the warmth of Northampton’s famed Iron Horse Music Hall, Jess Williamson performed a first-ever double set on Saturday, November 9th. Billed as a two-hour show, Williamson charmed the crowd with her own “pinch-me” excitement as she explained how the show would work – Iron Horse staff pitched the idea of breaking her set in-half, with a brief intermission before returning to play through her discography. Jokingly, she quipped, “So, I’m opening for myself tonight – and then I’m going to play some more.” With a semi-permanent smirk that lasted most of her show, she introduced her first song as the audience settled in. Playing the delicate Sorceress – Williamson calmed the crowd with the purity of her voice and the quiet fingerpicking that defines her talent.
A mixture of story and song, her set centered itself on the background to the narratives that have come to exemplify her poetic verses. Illuminated by soft lights and her signature candelabra, the stage had the intimacy of a house show with the vulnerability of an open mic. Outside, on streets made dark by the shifting of clocks, passersby could be seen peeking through the windows, curious to discover whose vocals were carrying through the cold night. Picking up the tempo with Chasing Spirits, Williamson invited listeners into the tale of what went into her lyrics, describing a relationship’s end, the attempt at friendship, and the ways former partners manage the fallout. With a sweetness that is representative of her calm and kind demeanor, she told the anecdote from a place of love and compassion.
Changing instruments for Infinite Scroll, Williamson made full use of the piano offered her. Sharing how the song’s melody came to be, she explained how when she’d recorded the demo, she had this idea of how she wanted it to sound – so she hummed the melody figuring they could replace it with instruments later in the studio. With a little laugh, she asked if it would be alright if she tried that again. The audience whole-heartedly hooted and shouted their support. Playing the melancholy song with the ad-libbed melody, the song’s unabridged performance created the kind of moment that only live music can offer. It is at once that feeling of connection to the innerworkings of the artist while still establishing a space for personal appreciation amongst a room of common strangers. This is a signature of Williamson’s live set. Taking the audience through nine songs off Time Ain’t Accidental – and songs from her release Plains with friend Katie Crutchfield of Waxahatchee, as well as selects from Sorceress – her set highlighted her own personal favorites – including Stampede. In introducing this song, she’d revealed it was the 11th song on Time, and that it was almost left off the album – but instinct told her to keep it – and it’s since become her favorite to play live.
Before taking her break, and with the audience fully enamored in the tenderness of her set, she made brief mention of the election before a laugh and cooly saying she wouldn’t say much more about it. Rather, she talked about the Lana Del Rey song Looking For America, stating the feeling of, “Loving this place where we live, and also feeling like maybe we haven’t quite found the best version of it yet.” Letting her voice carry above the chords, she covered the track and allowed the lyrics to say all that needed to be said about our recent poll results. Using her iPhone hooked up to a dongle, she mentioned that when working on Time she’d found an app on the iPhone to make simple drumbeats for some tracks while in lock-down. Playing to the dongled iPhone, she wound down her set with God In Everything and Topanga Two Step.
Wrapping the set, she said she was supposed to play one more, and then walk away before coming back for a classic two-song encore. She didn’t want to that, because the space was so small, and she was really enjoying the room. The smile was back as she said she’d play one more, but then everyone would need to act like that was the last song. Laughter and cheers came up as she closed out with Time Ain’t Accidental, paused for a few moments of light banter and cheers, then finished her set with A Few Seasons on piano and Wind On Tin on acoustic. Her commentary and perma-smile deliver the idea that Williamson is truly the kindhearted soul behind her songs. To go further, that she is the kind of person who is truly sincere as an individual on and off the stage. A singer with a strong heart, her ability to engage the crowd in earnest leaves the impression that her music is more than just an outlet, but a way to truly communicate all that she loves and hopes for; the ex who could use some help, the lonesome days on the road, and the ease of falling in love with someone new. It wouldn’t be a stretch to say Northampton might have fallen a little more than in love with the music of Jess Williamson, who can add her name to the long list of folk heroes who’ve passed through its hallowed streets.