Review: Andy Shauf @ Revolution Hall February 24

Written by Emma on February 28, 2020

On Monday evening, Andy Shauf presented his new album, The Neon Skyline, accompanied on tour by Molly Sarlé .

Originally from Saskatchewan, Canada, Shauf has been releasing music for 10 years both independently and with Foxwarren, utilizing his astounding voice and irreplaceable lyricism in the indie rock band.

Throughout each album, Shauf glides through a story with songs build around dialogue and anecdotes. The Neon Skyline is no exception.

With delicate melodic transitions and radiating lyrics, Shauf lead the audience through a journey. He begins the show by playing The Neon Skyline in whole, maintaining the storyline as each song leads into the next. Shauf reflects on his past relationship with a woman named Judy as she arrives in his hometown and goes to a bar with him and his friends.

Shauf explained in an interview that he received inspiration for this album from his regular attendance to a bar called The Skyline. He wanted to explore the idea of a whole album surrounding the feelings encountered there. Shauf’s performance created a sense of nostalgia for moment never experienced. He beautifully articulated his self reflections and somber moods. The music connected the audience to Shauf as they relate to paralleled feelings, moments, and experiences.

After performing the new album, Shauf half-encouraged the audience to ask some questions, one of which was, “Did you have to explain [this] to Judy?”. It was hard to tell if Shauf was amused or annoyed, but he casually expressed in a strong Canadian accent, “If Judy was a real person, she’d be fucking pissed at me”.

Shauf went on to perform songs from his earlier albums, including “Quite Like You” and “Twist Your Ankle”. From Shauf’s earlier work emanates passion and intense emotion. The songs are more loosely structured and create room for artistic expression. Shauf ended the night by gently singing “Martha Sways” as the encore. Alone on the stage and away from half the audience that had already left, an intimate moment was shared.

Shauf’s immense connection to his music is undeniable. His detailed emotions and personal tragedies encapsulate the audience through any medium. Although his older material is more raw, The Neon Skyline is still a beautiful piece of art that highlights the amazing talents of Andy Shauf.