After nine critically acclaimed albums, after twenty bandmates, after countless bars and clubs and theaters and festivals, after two full decades, Will Sheff is letting Okkervil River drift out to sea with Nothing Special, a rich and cinematic collection that marks the acclaimed indie songwriter's first release under his own name. Written through a period of painful loss and deep transformation and recorded with a mix of old friends and new collaborators (including singer/songwriter Christian Lee Hutson, Dawes drummer Griffin Goldsmith, and Death Cab For Cutie pianist Zac Rae), the record represents more than just a change in name; it's an act of liberation and self-determination, an emotionally raw reckoning with grief, identity, and hope that blurs the lines between fiction and autobiography, surrealism and humor, stoicism and a deepening spirituality.
~~~~~~~~
Will Sheff, front man for Austin-based Okkervil River, explores rock music's right to revel in human experience, clichés and all. Okkervil River formed in 1998, and has produced five albums and five EPs, from their very first - a live EP called Stars Too Small to Use - to their breakthrough album Black Sheep Boy, released in 2005. In an interview for The Believer magazine, Sheff states, "A lot of the time, my guiding principle is to try and do all the things I couldn't possibly get away with, and do them well." Will Sheff cites influences from the Incredible String Band, Sam Cooke and James Brown to Joan Didion and Russian literature. In live performance, Sheff evokes performers like Otis Redding, delivering songs with visceral, no-holds-barred physical dedication. Sheff also plays banjo, guitar, piano, and harmonica, and is also a founding member of the band Shearwater and will follow his on-stage interview with a short, acoustic set.
show less
~~~~~~~~
Will Sheff, front man for Austin-based Okkervil River, explores rock music's right to revel in human experience, clichés and all. Okkervil River formed in 1998, and has produced five albums and five EPs, from their very first - a live EP called Stars Too Small to Use - to their breakthrough album Black Sheep Boy, released in 2005. In an interview for The Believer magazine, Sheff states, "A lot of the time, my guiding principle is to try and do all the things I couldn't possibly get away with, and do them well." Will Sheff cites influences from the Incredible String Band, Sam Cooke and James Brown to Joan Didion and Russian literature. In live performance, Sheff evokes performers like Otis Redding, delivering songs with visceral, no-holds-barred physical dedication. Sheff also plays banjo, guitar, piano, and harmonica, and is also a founding member of the band Shearwater and will follow his on-stage interview with a short, acoustic set.
After nine critically acclaimed albums, after twenty bandmates, after countless bars and clubs and theaters and festivals, after two full decades, Will Sheff is letting Okkervil River drift out to sea with Nothing Special, a rich and cinematic collection that marks the acclaimed indie songwriter's first release under his own name. Written through a period of painful loss and deep transformation and recorded with a mix of old friends and new collaborators (including singer/songwriter Christian Lee Hutson, Dawes drummer Griffin Goldsmith, and Death Cab For Cutie pianist Zac Rae), the record represents more than just a change in name; it's an act of liberation and self-determination, an emotionally raw reckoning with grief, identity, and hope that blurs the lines between fiction and autobiography, surrealism and humor, stoicism and a deepening spirituality.
~~~~~~~~
Will Sheff, front man for Austin-based Okkervil River, explores rock music's right to revel in human experience, clichés and all. Okkervil River formed in 1998, and has produced five albums and five EPs, from their very first - a live EP called Stars Too Small to Use - to their breakthrough album Black Sheep Boy, released in 2005. In an interview for The Believer magazine, Sheff states, "A lot of the time, my guiding principle is to try and do all the things I couldn't possibly get away with, and do them well." Will Sheff cites influences from the Incredible String Band, Sam Cooke and James Brown to Joan Didion and Russian literature. In live performance, Sheff evokes performers like Otis Redding, delivering songs with visceral, no-holds-barred physical dedication. Sheff also plays banjo, guitar, piano, and harmonica, and is also a founding member of the band Shearwater and will follow his on-stage interview with a short, acoustic set.
read more
~~~~~~~~
Will Sheff, front man for Austin-based Okkervil River, explores rock music's right to revel in human experience, clichés and all. Okkervil River formed in 1998, and has produced five albums and five EPs, from their very first - a live EP called Stars Too Small to Use - to their breakthrough album Black Sheep Boy, released in 2005. In an interview for The Believer magazine, Sheff states, "A lot of the time, my guiding principle is to try and do all the things I couldn't possibly get away with, and do them well." Will Sheff cites influences from the Incredible String Band, Sam Cooke and James Brown to Joan Didion and Russian literature. In live performance, Sheff evokes performers like Otis Redding, delivering songs with visceral, no-holds-barred physical dedication. Sheff also plays banjo, guitar, piano, and harmonica, and is also a founding member of the band Shearwater and will follow his on-stage interview with a short, acoustic set.
show less
Date/Times:
The Independent
75 Upcoming Events
628 Divisadero Street, San Francisco, CA 94117
The Best Events
Every Week in Your Inbox
From Our Sponsors
UPCOMING EVENTS
Great suggestion! We'll be in touch.
Event reviewed successfully.