Highland Park’s Lodge Room gave us a lovely treat Thursday night with a double-header featuring Baltimore indie rock duo Wye Oak and up-and-coming singer-songwriter Madeline Kenney. But Wye Oak and Kenney aren’t just tour mates — they’re roommates too.
Madeline Kenney and Wye Oak share a residence in Durham, North Carolina. Wye Oak’s Jenn Wasner produced Kenney’s upcoming sophomore record Perfect Shapes, which drops October 5 via Carpark. Kenney left Oakland for Durham and now finds herself on a tour with her roomies.
The 26-year-old musician had the sold-out room’s sharpest attention during her set. With quick and heavy-hitting lyrics, Kenney captivates. Her music makes you think, plain and simple. The lyrics to her songs touch on relatable world issues such as femininity, self-worth and so much more. I can’t praise this artist enough. Recently released single “Cut Me Off” was a highlight. Wasner joined her on stage to play bass, a real treat.
Quite the duo, Wye Oak took the stage next. Jenn Wasner sings lead vocals and plays guitar/bass, while Andy Stack plays both drums and keyboards. Having released their sixth record this April, The Louder I Call, The Faster It Runs, Wye Oak have such a stellar set list on their current tour.
There’s such an evolution in the collection of music this band has created so it really just gets more and more exciting to listen. They truly create some of the most unpredictable and ever so enticing music.
If you weren’t one of the lucky ones to catch Thursday night’s show, be sure to grab tickets to the one-of-a-kind show at the Hollywood Bowl on August 5, featuring Bon Iver’s collaboration with the contemporary dance company, TU Dance. Wye Oak will be opening that show, don’t miss it!
Words and photos by Danielle Gornbein
WYE OAK:
MADELINE KENNEY:
