Live Review + Photos: Chelsea Wolfe at The Warsaw

A Wolfe in sheep’s clothing. Chelsea Wolfe, who initially came across as a bit timid and shy, created an atmosphere that was anything but. Wolfe, who played two sold out shows in New York, drew an audience from far and wide at the Warsaw – some of whom had traveled over eight hours, and even someone from Turkey, to catch this intimate show. The show was so sought after that there was a line around the block before the doors had even opened. 

Wolfe is currently touring her seventh studio album, She Reaches Out To She Reaches Out to She, which was released this year. She came to do exactly what the album says, she reached out to the fans. The album has quickly become a crowd favorite. Wolfe, who has been making music since the age of nine, chose to make this album more edgy, with a sound reminiscent of Portishead or PJ Harvey. 

One of the first things you noticed going into the venue was the crowd, which spanned all ages and donned mostly in black. The style could almost be called graveyard chic. The gregarious crowd was extremely welcoming and talkative with one another, something that is not always the norm at shows.

The set kicked off at 9:15pm when Wolfe walked on stage and immediately went into “Whispers in the Echo Chamber,” off the new album She Reaches Out. The first of many songs that would be played from that album for the night. The set, which was comprised of 16 songs, went by in the blink of an eye. Wolfe did not address the audience once during the show, although she did not need to, as her presence alone was enough. Continuing to play from the new album she went into “Everything Turns Blue,” “House of Self‐Undoing,” and “Tunnel Lights.”

The abstract backdrop mirrored the energy of the music – morphing between colors of blue and red, giving a metaphorical sense of the blood pumping through the veins of everyone there. Switching up the set, Wolfe broke into her older album Hiss Spun playing “16 Psyche” and “The Culling.” The audience at this point was eating up the songs as if starved for her attention and talent. Transitioning into her album Pain is Beauty she played “Feral Love” and “House of Metal.” 

Throughout the show the crowd, enthralled with the performance, maintained a soft but nonstop head bang that would make a chiropractor drool. Wolfe ventured further back into her discography with “Survive” and “Salt” – the spellbound crowd let out a frenzy of woo’s and yeahs, and even an “I love you Chelsea.” 

Passing the halfway mark of her remarkable show, she returned to the new album She Reaches Out, playing “Unseen World,” “Eyes Like Nightshade,” “Place in the Sun,” and “Dusk.”

Wolfe did not leave the stage for her encore songs, she did not need to relay that the evening was coming to a conclusion as acoustic versions of the songs “They’ll Clap When You’re Gone” and “Flatlands” did that for her. Most of her 47 upcoming tour dates are sold out, but if able to attend, the show will undoubtedly move you. Perfectly exemplified by an audience member who walked out with a mascara streaked face, beaming ear to ear through tears of joy.

Setlist

1. Whispers in the Echo Chamber
2. Everything Turns Blue
3. House of Self‐Undoing
4. Tunnel Lights
5. 16 Psyche
6. The Culling
7. Feral Love
8. House of Metal
9. Survive
10. Salt
11. Unseen World
12. Eyes Like Nightshade
13. Place in the Sun
14. Dusk
15. They’ll Clap When You’re Gone  (Acoustic)
16.  Flatlands (Acoustic)

All photos by Vivianne Navarrete.