Sarah Neufeld delivers a haunting, dramatic show at Swedish American Hall

Sarah Neufeld with Eartheater //
Swedish American Hall – San Francisco
March 22nd, 2016 //

Best known for her work as a touring member of Arcade Fire, Sarah Neufeld is a performer in her own right with three solo albums under her belt. The violin is the common denominator across all three, although you can see Neufeld start to feel more comfortable singing on her latest LP The Ridge, which was released in February.

Neufeld’s live show last month at the Swedish American Hall was solid and well-rehearsed, only if ever jeopardized by the venue’s own sound problems, which caused feedback and noise at the beginning of her set. On drums and production was Stefan Schneider, an old collaborator and bandmate of Neufeld’s in the Montreal-based, instrumental six-piece Bell Orchestre. The duo delivered a haunting and dramatic performance, full of highs and lows driven by Neufeld’s frequent crescendos.

Opening the show was Alexandra Drewchin, a multi-instrumentalist and vocalist based in Queens, N.Y., who performs under the pseudonym Eartheater when she’s not writing songs with drummer Greg Fox for their collaborative project Guardian Alien.