Concert #716 - Aoife O'Donovan at McCabe's Guitar Shop (June 6, 2014)

This was my fourth time to see Aoife O'Donovan in concert, a count that also includes her earlier appearances with Crooked Still and Ollabelle. So what made me want to see her again only six months after her last solo show at McCabe's? The answer is simple: her voice. And her smile.

Pronunciation guide: Aoife is an Irish name that sounds like EE-fa, with emphasis on the first syllable.

Aoife came out ten minutes after 8 PM and set the tone of the evening with "Donal Og", a slow Irish traditional tune. Although she did pick up the pace later in the show, most of her songs were mid-tempo, with only one or two faster numbers. This may sound like a complaint, but I have absolutely to gripe with her song selection, as such slower songs allow her voice and phrasing to shine the best.

Aoife O'Donovan at McCabe's

The audience of about 120 people was treated to an eclectic set that included Irish and American traditional tunes, covers of songs from luminaries such as Tom Waits, Doc Watson, Duke Ellington and Bruce Springstee and, of course, her own original compositions. The ones I liked the best were Crooked Still's "The Lovesick Redstick Blues", Duke Ellington's "In A Sentimental Mood" and the self-penned "Oh Mama" and "Lay My Burden Down". For her one-song encore, she sang Tom Waits' "Fish And Bird".

The set list

In between the better-known numbers taken from "Fossils", her first solo album, Aoife threw in a few of her newer compositions that are yet to be recorded, such as "Porchlight", "Magpie", "Stanley Park" and "Hornets". The latter is a recent collaboration with her friend, Sarah Jarosz.

Just like six months ago, I found Aoife's solo act to be thoroughly enjoyable. Armed with only one acoustic guitar and performing without any support musicians, she can hold an audience captive like few others. I know I'll be back for more.

Aoife O'Donovan tuning her guitar

Aoife O'Donovan at McCabe's

My friend Steve chatting with Aoife after the show

Concert #695 - Aoife O'Donovan at McCabe's Guitar Shop (December 14, 2013)

Last night was my third time to see the lovely Aoife O'Donovan in action at McCabe's, but only the first time as a solo performer. Her earlier appearances there with Crooked Still and Ollabelle made a fan out of me, but I must confess that I was less taken by "Fossils", her first-ever full-length solo album. As a result, I showed up at McCabe's with a certain dose of mixed feelings, not really knowing what to expect.

Pronunciation guide: Aoife, an Irish name, sounds like EE-fa, with emphasis on the first syllable. Go figure.


Somewhat surprisingly, Aoife came out without any backup musicians and from that moment on, her gorgeous voice and cheerful personality carried the evening. She opened with a gospel tune that's at least eighty-years old, "Troubled About My Soul", from which she transitioned seamlessly into something newer, the self-penned "Lay My Burden Down", a song also recorded by Alison Krauss. The crowd responded with enthusiasm. The show continued with many songs from "Fossils", interspersed with numbers from other sources, such as Crooked Still's "The Lovesick Redstick Blues" and the traditional "Pretty Polly". She ended her set with "Oh, Mama", also from "Fossils", with full crowd participation. For her one-song encore, she chose to sing Doc Watson's "A-Roving On A Winter's Night". Overall, Aoife's performance last night at McCabe's ranks right up there with the very best I've seen there, and I've seen a few.

Aoife O'Donovan at McCabe's

Throughout the show, Aoife accompanied herself on acoustic guitar. She is not a guitar virtuoso, but her playing did not hurt her either, that's for sure. Funny thing, though: I loved each and every song Aoife sang last night, even the ones whose studio versions failed to initially excite me. After the show, while driving home, I gave "Fossils" another good listen, this time with radically different results. Reconsidering an album after having seen the respective artist in a live setting is nothing new to me and it may have happened to you as well.

Aoife O'Donovan having fun at McCabe's

Aoife O'Donovan set list

The unmistakable star of the show was Aoife's voice, a truly beautiful instrument. Singing seemingly without effort, she kept her audience captive for the entire duration of the show, about 75 minutes in all. There's no one out there who sounds quite like Aoife, and it's more than just the beauty of her voice: equally exquisite is her phrasing. There's plenty of soul and emotion in her voice, even when she brings it down to a whisper, like she often does. I liked her work with both Crooked Still and Ollabelle, but if you want a full helping of Aoife, then you must catch one of her solo concerts.

The evening kicked of with a forty-five minute set delivered by Patrick Park, an American singer-songwriter whom I had not seen before. I liked his guitar playing, there was a lot of variety in his finger-work. I also liked some of his songs, "Holding Hands" and "Blackbird" in particular. On the minus side, I found Patrick's delivery somewhat repetitive, as he used the same vocal and emotional approach to most of his songs.  

Patrick Park at McCabe's

Patrick Park's set list

Aoife O'Donovan (left) chatting with fans after the show

Patrick Park chatting with fans after the show