With a line-up of folk/folk rock luminaries The Paper Kites and Donovan Woods on a bill, shedding tears throughout the night wouldn’t be a surprise. What might shock you is how many laughs you would have in between songs during an evening of such pristine, moving and uplifting performances at Los Angeles’ The Wiltern last Tuesday.
I will say that 90% of the comedy was due to Canadian folk troubadour Donovan Woods, who was the main reason I went out that night. Since discovering him back in 2019 opening for Ruston Kelly, I’ve been a fan. And I was thrilled that he opened his set with “It’ll Work Itself Out,” a track that he earned my fandom for over six years ago. While Woods’ set wasn’t long, every moment between songs he had the audience laughing with his deadpan humor, delivering lines and stories like with the dry wit of John C. Reilly. An especially entertaining anecdote came from his story behind “Man Made Lake,” apparently inspired by a push from a pushy uncle who encouraged Woods to write a song with the name based on something Woods’ father had said. Despite begrudging his uncles’ persistent “you should write a song about that” nags, in this case Woods’ accepted it was a good suggestion.
The highlight of the set for me was Woods’ playing my favorite song of 2024, the heartbreaking narrative “Back for the Funeral.” You better believe I was singing every word. From here, Woods joked about his biggest “hit,” and its inclusion in a number of playlists which included the words “chill” and “dinner,” “Portland, Maine,” which he proceeded to play. He closed his set on another song of his I love, the vulnerable “Grew Apart.” These songs, which certainly pull on my heartstrings, you would think would come from a man drowning in sorrows. Yet, maybe it’s getting all these melancholy stories and memories out that allow Woods to be such a jovial, funny human being.
In between sets, I stood in line to meet Woods and share my appreciation for his music (and buy a shirt). Amazingly, though I planned to ask for a photo with him, I got caught up in our brief conversation and forgot to ask. Next time I suppose.
While I have enjoyed songs I’ve heard (and shared here) by The Paper Kites, I wasn’t overly familiar with their catalog, so only had a vague idea of what their set would be like. The group opened their set with “Morning Gum,” sang in a classic folk formation, with the band harmonizing around Sam Bentley in a close formation. It was a nice intimate moment before each member took their place on stage and went into the mellow “Change in the Wind,” also from their new album If You Go There, I Hope You Find It. From these songs, I began to think the entirety of the set would stay in this mood; soft and serene folk music that would wash over me with pleasant vibes.
After a chill “Till the Flame Turns Blue” and the slightly more upbeat “Every Town,” the band began to spread their stylistic wings. Songs like “Black & Thunder” brought in a jazz-rock swing that reminded me of Steely Dan, and further tracks soared into more anthemic sonic plains, boldly going towards U2-worthy arena rock that utilized the full band’s capabilities.
As much as I enjoyed this bigger sound the band showed off, it was equally as special when the rest of the band left and Bentley brought out Woods for a lovely cover of Colin Hay‘s beautiful “I Just Don’t Think I’ll Ever Get Over You.” As Hay’s music is clearly in both artists’ DNA, it was a great choice for a duet for the tour. As Woods left, the rest of the band came back for an intimate take on “Paint,” before going back into full-band mode for the remainder of the main set.
Instead of a typical encore break, the band brought out what appeared to be a floating moon orb as the lights dimmed, bringing illumination as it was passed into the crowd and brought towards the center of the floor with the band. From there, The Paper Kites did a a superb acoustic rendition of “On the Train Ride Home.” The silence in the room allowed the harmonized vocals and acoustic chords to emanate through the room perfectly. The band then returned to the stage once more to play their platinum hit “Bloom”. I headed out as they played this to beat the rush, but I was happy I got to see the band in concert. I definitely appreciate them more having seen them live.
While this was the last night of the tour, you can keep up with what The Paper Kites and Donovan Woods are up to via their websites and socials. and take a listen to their latest releases below:
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