Sea Wolf at VINYL @ The Hard Rock

Alex Brown Church has played in Las Vegas before–actually under the same roof at the Hard Rock Hotel & Casino–but that was opening for Phoenix at the cavernous Joint. Sea Wolf returned two and a half years later to “an intimate crowd” as he put it. The Hard Rock’s new venue, VINYL is a bit bigger than the previous Wasted Space, but has a similar aesthetic.

The Wednesday night crowd of maybe 80 people were all devotees, though, not the kind of “talking over the music” that you eventually wind up getting with a 16-song set. Fedora-clad sophisticates casually mixed with Twilight fans (all ages show), and Church bantered with attendees while he tuned. At one point, someone asked him to give a “get well” message to their friend who missed the show.

Old World Romance is a departure from the dark folkiness of the two previous Sea Wolf albums. A homecoming theme, a couple four-on-the-floor rhythms, sans cello. More Rouge Wave than Iron & Wine. The “full band” sound definitely translated to some exceptional live numbers, including “Priscilla,” “Kasper,” and opener “Miracle Cure.” Let’s hope they stick to smaller rooms for a while; I could get used to this.

Setlist:

1. Miracle Cure
2. Winter Windows
3. The Traitor
4. Old Friend
5. The Cold, the Dark, and the Silence
6. Spirit Horse
7. Priscilla
8. Middle Distance Runner
9. I Made a Resolution
10. Turn the Dirt Over
11. Wicked Blood
12. Kasper
13. You’re A Wolf

Encore
14. Black Leaf Falls
15. Saint Catherine St.
16. Neutral Ground
 

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