By Zach Krauss, ’20
Marlon Williams | Music Hall of Williamsburg 3/27/18
The night started with Tiny Ruins, a singer/songwriter from New Zealand. She normally plays with a full band but was solo that night and in my opinion, it did not do her justice; it left every song sounding pretty similar. Nevertheless, she captured the audience with her crisp Nick Drake-like fingerpicking and eerie voice—a perfect warm-up for Marlon.
Marlon Williams, also from New Zealand, started his set with a solo Peggy Seeger cover before bringing the band out to play a set of 19 songs from the new album, old album, and covers. His riveting voice carried the show giving me chills at some points. The show certainly crossed genres with band members switching from violin to acoustic guitar to synthesizers to electric guitar, sometimes all within one song. They finished the set with a brilliant cover of Olivia Newton John’s “Carried Away” showcasing not only Marlon’s vocal ability but also the bassist’s. I hope I have the opportunity to see him again sometime soon!