WHUS RECAP: Kurt Vile & The Violators

On Wednesday, February 17th, listeners both young and old gathered at College Street Music Hall in New Haven, CT to be serenaded by the sounds of Kurt Vile and the Violators. Opening the night was Greek/Aussie duo Xylouris White, wowing the crowds with a lute and percussion combination that blended Crete folk, jazz and punk into one wholesome performance.

George Xylouris on the Crete lute, while Jim White uses traditional grip on the drums.

Former Dirty Three member Jim White incorporates his own smooth percussion into every song.”

Kurt Vile, alongside his backing band, the Violators, put on an extremely casual yet captivating and on-point performance – only further greatened by the pristine quality of College Street Music Hall’s state-of-the-art sound system installations. Though most songs came with a relaxed essence, the Philadelphia native kept the crowd alive with his hoots, yelps and sporadic leg kicks throughout the set.

Kurt traded in his electric guitar for a banjo as he performed ‘I’m an Outlaw’, off of his September 2015 full-length release ‘b’lieve I’m going down’. He also alternated full-band tracks with his own slower solo ballads, utilizing an acoustic guitar to its utmost potential. Kurt’s spaced-out yet easygoing presence made the set quite personal, at times making the audience feel that it was an intimate expression of the artist’s admirably lethargic being. Though some of his lyrics allude to the separation of himself and the world, this performance held a steadily optimistic flow, culminating in encore performances of ‘Baby’s Arms’ and ‘Peeping Tomboy’, leaving the crowd satisfied but of course wanting more.

Cheers to you, Kurt.