Words by Mickey Woods
Photos by Sarah Travis

Last Wednesday night’s S. Carey show at the Bishop with local band, the Hollows was in a word, dreamy.

I suppose I shouldn’t exclude Wisconsin native S. Carey when I say “local” however, because the band
is signed to Bloomington label, Jagjaguwar. Also while on stage, lead singer Sean mentioned that
Bloomington is a second home to him, and that he had tasty organic restaurant, FARM for dinner.
That’s good enough for me to welcome him with open arms.

It was a pretty chill crowd last night, not packed to capacity as one would think, but enough so that you
could sway (with beers in hand) to the mood driven grooves present in both The Hollows’ and S. Carey’s
music.

I’d never seen the Hollows before, and was eager to hear something new. It was refreshing. Lead singer,
Kate Long had a voice that was pure and ethereal. The band’s folk songs were perfectly complimented
by Long’s vocals. I couldn’t really tell what the songs were about, but they all sounded deeply personal,
as Long expressed nerves several times during the set. The loveliest thing about The Hollows music, in
my opinion, was how at some of the most dynamic points of a song, a violin pluck here or a twinkling
keyboard there would add momentum, and establish mood. The result was a charming mixture of
melancholy and relaxation.

Judging by the crowd reaction at the end of The Hollows’ set, people were generally feeling good, and
ready to rock steady when S. Carey hit the stage. After an introduction by WFHB’s Nicole O’Neal, the
quartet humbly took their places, getting fans in the mood with a brief harmonious warm up of cello,
electric guitar, piano, atmospheric pads and drums.

The room was completely still, as Sean, under lavender lighting, opened his mouth to sing. It rounded
out the lush, yet spare sound of the first few songs. The famed drummer of Bon Iver’s definitely got
chops on par with Justin Vernon.

“In the Dirt” from their debut album, All We Grow, was introduced by rhythmic handclaps that really got
the crowd going. I started dancing and sang along. People were smiling and having a good time, as the
band moved breezily through most of their tracks on the album.

On “In the Stream,” Sean called Kate Long back onstage to harmonize with him. To talk of how
beautiful and natural that moment in the show was would be an understatement.

I went to the concert with friends Sharonda and Sarah Travis (a WIUX DJ of “Face Control,” holla!), who
took photos of both bands. They were blown away, and we all felt compelled to snag a picture with Sean
before we headed out. He was super nice and full of positive energy. I saw S.Carey last semester when
they opened for Tallest Man on Earth and while that was a great show (it encouraged me to go buy the
album), this one was far better in terms of energy, mood, and the way the crowd reacted.

Last 5 posts by Andrew Olanoff