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Sharon Van Etten, Live In Concert: Newport Folk 2012

Erik Jacobs for NPR

Nothing about the wounded confessionalism of Sharon Van Etten's early work even begins to portend rock stardom: All raw nerves and whispered coos, 2009's Because I Was in Love explores tiny, tentative moments with a sort of graceful vulnerability. Ever since, Van Etten has kept adding layers of sinew to her sound, to the point where she's become a bona fide blood-and-guts rock 'n' roll frontwoman. Between 2010's epic and this year's Tramp, she's discovered who she wants to be, and begun to sing like someone who knows how to get there.

That metamorphosis has been remarkable to witness, in part because the songs keep becoming bigger, richer, better — all while holding on to the intimacy with which she built her name. On stage, backed by a full band and ace utility player Heather Broderick, Van Etten captures that mix perfectly: She alternately exudes quiet confidence, sweet shyness and bold aggression, depending on a given song or moment, and never lets her audience's attention lag. Sharon Van Etten performs here as part of the 2012 Newport Folk Festival, recorded live on Saturday, July 28 in Newport, R.I.

Set List:

  • "All I Can"
  • "Warsaw"
  • "Save Yourself"
  • "Kevin's Way"
  • "Magic Chords"
  • "Give Out"
  • "Ask"
  • "Life Of His Own"
  • "Leonard"
  • "Serpents"
  • "I'm Wrong"
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    Stephen Thompson is a writer, editor and reviewer for NPR Music, where he speaks into any microphone that will have him and appears as a frequent panelist on All Songs Considered. Since 2010, Thompson has been a fixture on the NPR roundtable podcast Pop Culture Happy Hour, which he created and developed with NPR correspondent Linda Holmes. In 2008, he and Bob Boilen created the NPR Music video series Tiny Desk Concerts, in which musicians perform at Boilen's desk. (To be more specific, Thompson had the idea, which took seconds, while Boilen created the series, which took years. Thompson will insist upon equal billing until the day he dies.)