The Weather Station: Live at Jammin’ Java

With her most recent 2017 self-titled album, Tamara Lindeman (The Weather Station) has received plenty of well-deserved attention on both sides of the Canadian border, including an invitation to NPR’s prestigious “Tiny Desk Concert” here in the US just a few months ago. With the announcement of an incredibly adventurous 2018 tour, spanning three continents, we were incredibly grateful that The Weather Station had included Jammin’ Java in Vienna, VA in their busy schedule.

Making their debut appearance at this venue last Saturday evening, Tamara and her band (Ben Whiteley/bass, Ian Kehoe/percussion and Will Kidman/guitars/keyboards) performed a seventeen track set list for the many patrons in the room. Offering plenty of material from the most recent album, The Weather Station would also select several tracks from across their discography, throw in a random cover version, take one song by request, and have some comical moments that were completely unscripted thrown in for good measure too.

Opening with “Don’t Understand” from the 2014 EP “What Am I Going To Do With Everything I Know,” both Ben and Ian would throw puzzled glances at Tamara during her first few chords. With a smile and a laugh, Tamara would publicly announce that she did not understand why she had started the song in the wrong key, and quickly affixed her capo to the relevant fret on her guitar. Continuing with “Don’t Understand” (Take Two), while everybody was now playing in the same key, Tamara would make it through the end of the first verse before breaking into a fit of laughter, prompting the band to cease the music and look questioningly at her once more. Declaring her apologies to the audience, she shared the tale of being prepared for the show until she saw a poster for a band named “Amish In Chains” backstage, which was surreal enough to have tickled her funny bone. Weighing up the decision to start over for a third take, the band agreed that they were not destined to finish this number, and pushed ahead to the following track, the recently released single “Impossible.”

In addition to the new single, other cuts from the latest album included “Kept It All To Myself,” “Free” and “Black Flies.” Popular tracks from the 2015 “Loyalty” album would be included too, notably “Floodplain” and “Way It Is, Way It Could Be” (played in succession towards the close of the show). Indeed, prior to the performance of “Floodplain,” Tamara would initiate an unscripted conversation with the room. “We went to Whole Foods for dinner…we like to try the local cuisine,” she announced, before adding, “They have drinks…you can get a little buzz and go grocery shopping.”

A handful of songs would also be chosen from the 2011 “All Of It Was Mine” album, including one particular highlight during “If I’ve Been Fooled,” where Tamara would commence the song solo, before harmonies and instrumentation were added by the band down the stretch. Her three companions would then take a brief leave of absence, allowing Tamara some intimacy with the room during an acoustic version of “Traveller,” and the welcomed inclusion of “Everything I Saw;” taken by request during this solo segment.

With the return of the band, the show resumed and culminated with a fantastic rendition of the popular hit “Thirty.” Exiting the stage to a lively ovation, the artists would return for one more song, and as is customary for The Weather Station, returned to their “Loyalty” album to close with “Tapes.” A wonderful evening of music was experienced by all, and The Weather Station certainly made many new friends and fans in Northern Virginia. With a handful of US tour dates remaining, be sure to grab any opportunity you have to see them right now, before they head across to Europe and beyond to share their enchanting and poetic brand of music.

Set List: