A night with Andy Shauf at the Bella Concert Hall
By Ilana van der Merwe, October 4 2024—
A highly enthused audience welcomed Saskatchewan based singer-songwriter Andy Shauf to the Bella Concert Hall on Sept. 21. With fans flying from Nepal just to hear this indie-alternative’s acoustic renditions of his records over the years, one might ask: Why are Shauf’s fans so devoted?
Andy’s music reflects something many of his audience member’s marvel about: simultaneous authenticity and ambiguity. By allowing his audience to ask questions between every 3 to 4 songs, Shauf demonstrated that one does not need to sacrifice inclusion of individual experience in lyrics in order to preserve relatability. Many listeners asked Shauf for meanings of certain lyrics, explanations between the many animations conceptualizing his music videos and the relations he holds to the people he writes about. Shauf’s go-to answer lacked no charm as time and time again, he offered a simple: “I don’t know, really.”
After Shauf’s mysterious and engaging lyricism, Shauf’s ability to portray emotion in song is unmatched. Simple, everyday lived experiences to Shauf are opportunities to paint reflections. From driving to a Halloween Store to buying lottery tickets in songs like Judy, Shauf summarizes how seemingly simple experiences can hold higher emotional significance in our lives. This encapsulation of relatability is what has created such a devoted fan base for Andy Shauf.
Unique to other artists, Andy Shauf’s performance style does not alter or embellish the original tracks that his followers are so connected to. By walking onto a stage set only with a parlor guitar, a chair, a bottle of water and a cup of tea, he allows the audience to enjoy what they came for: his music.
With that said, it is astonishing the accuracy and similarity between Shauf’s recorded tracks and live performances. Perhaps it is partly attributed to the incredibly warm acoustics of the Bella Concert, but being capable of reconstructing a near perfect replica of a song while singing alone on a stage is not easily achieved. Regardless of this challenge, fans left the theater chattering about how impeccably accurate his own recordings were to his performance.
Lastly, bringing this performance to another level was the selection of opening performer: Hayden Pedigo. Based in Amarillo, Texas, Pedigo featured 5 songs bringing his Calgary audience into the “vast nothingness” — as he describes it — of his home town. His music features a style similar to Shauf, as he makes use of the marvel of presenting the audience with nothing but a solo guitar. Oftentimes, audiences overlook a tour’s opener, but Pedigo left a commendable impression on this audience. Pedigo’s discography features songs with lapses of silence to encapsulate what he intended as reflection, open air and tranquility.
Putting his performance to the test, his musical intention was preserved as every pause was utterly noiseless in this theatre sitting up to 773 audience members. Watching complex melodies that feature multiple coinciding harmonious lines played on one instrument is hypnotic, which made Pedigo the perfect opener for Shauf. By drawing the audience in with his act, he set the stage for a performer he considers “the best songwriters of all time”: Andy Shauf.
Visit this link for more information and tickets about Andy Shauf’s fall 2024 solo tour.