Concert Review: Kelly Zutrau Gets Unplugged At National Sawdust

On August 24, 2016, Kelly Zutrau, from the band Wet, provided an intimately gorgeous set that reminded me how bare music can make a soul feel. Zutrau approached the microphone like one would a sad child, with limitless gentility and warmth to revive comfort. For those that enjoyed her performance, it felt like an episode of MTV unplugged and another notch to National Sawdust’s unique, musical setup. 

Something about National Sawdust makes every performer that crosses their stage open their heart. From Corinne Bailey Rae to Patti Smith, every time I left this growing Brooklyn staple/music hall, I felt filled with humility and wonder. When you go to see a concert at National Sawdust, it also feels as if you are going to see the “behind the scenes” of an artist, hence my MTV Unplugged reference. The setting draws out the honesty of an artist and their relationship with music. The dim lighting and ornately decorated, but small space, gives a feel that”what happens here, stays here”. Yet, what happens there is not a crazy night of debauchery, but a night of vulnerability.  The artists that cross National Sawdust’s stage want to have a real moment with their listeners’ on how music has inspired their life. This causes intimate stories, truths, and witty quips to be shared between audiences and musicians like old friends bantering. At National Sawdust, music reveals its spiritual power, unconditional love, which was something Kelly Zutrau exhibited throughout her show. 

Zutrau’s grounded nature encourages audiences to love her and cheer on her success. The way she delicately plays her instruments and sings her songs assures listeners that her bond with music is pure. She is not about fame or money. To her, music is a soulful endeavor, and each of her songs is a ripped page from the diary of her heart. As she stripped songs from Wet’s acclaimed debut album “Don’t You”, you felt as if you were watching the light of her spirit touch the piano rather than her gentle hands. It was fascinating to watch her sing each song with real, felt emotions. Songs like It’s All In Vain and All The Ways were delivered with a delicate brokenness that made your feel as fractured as their lyrics. Wet is a popular Brooklyn synth-pop band whose electric rhythms give their songs a dream-like quality, which helps their listeners absorb the pain of their words. Their lyrics always bring a sentimental “punch” of feeling lonely either in a relationship or with yourself. Hence, they are a band that has received rightful acclaim for creating music that makes you feel like the bluest ocean waves have captured you to lead you adrift. Yet, seeing Zutrau live, and separate from the band, reminded audiences of the weight her voice carries in inspiring listeners to let themselves be musically drifted. 

I am in love with Kelly Zutrau’s voice. The best word I can use to describe her vocals is kind. Yes, I know kindness is a virtue but so are her vocals. There is an inherent tenderness to her delivery that makes the melancholy of her songs feel that much more heartbreaking. When she coos over the piano, you want to cover her and wish away her pain. The power to embody hurt and love so fluidly, without any force or farce, is like a Godsend for a musician. Add on that she actually is sweetheart, and you become enthralled with her ability to enter a song’s darkness and still emanate an invincible lightness. She can make you want cry from beauty, and then make you smile with her loveliness. Honestly, she should be considered music’s Meryl Streep with her ability to interpret a song with a humanity that is both potent and prestigious. 

For More Information on Wet Click Here. For More Information on National Sawdust Click Here.