Solo folk musicians sing about politics, pets, personal lives

For the 43rd and final show of her solo tour, Wisconsin singer Anna Vogelzang performed Saturday at The Bishop.

She belted her lyrics to an attentive audience despite her fatigue from the night before — she had played in Indianapolis with belly dancers and fire-eaters, she informed her listeners.

Vogelzang played after local musician Taylor Campi and before headliner Eric Ayotte.
Graduate student Tamara van der Does said she was impressed with Vogelzang’s voice.

“I enjoyed the simplicity,” van der Does said. “It’s down to earth. The music is easy to relate to.”

Vogelzang performed songs from her upcoming album, “Canary in a Coal Mine,” to be released February 2012.

After leaving her previous record label, she started Paper Anchor Music and produced the album with the backing of her fans.

“I would like to be in charge of my own trajectory but also reach as many people as possible,” Vogelzang said. “It’s about finding a balance.”

During the performance, she switched among guitar, banjo and kalimba. Her dynamic vocals changed just as much — sometimes soft, sometimes spoken and sometimes a crescendo to fill the room.

Using various instruments helps her challenge herself when writing, Vogelzang said.

“When you don’t know the rules, you don’t get held up by them,” she said.
Vogelzang, who studied opera at Carnegie Mellon University, said she tries to “mix that part of my voice in, too.”

Local musician and junior Taylor Campi opened for Vogelzang and garnered laughs for a 21st birthday song she wrote for a friend and an emotional response for “Sophie,” a song about her dog’s death.

Campi said she appreciated the politically charged music of headliner Eric Ayotte, whose song “Fallujah” reminded her of her own song about Libya.

“I’m silly in real life, but when I approach songwriting — well, it’s a very serious outlet for emotional release,” Ayotte said.

Even when writing about his personal side, Ayotte said he tries to incorporate political ideas  without making his songs “finger-pointing.”

He took the stage after finishing work at Rhino’s, where he runs Youth Radio for WFHB.

Ayotte joked with the audience between songs to make up for “keeping the mood low” due to his serious themes.

In the spring, Vogelzang will return to The Bishop, which is “one of my favorite venues,” she said.

“I’m really looking forward to her band coming back,” van der Does said.