concert_goer | Evie Sands and Bridget St. John @ Sweetwater Music Hall, Mill Valley, CA, USA, 04/06/2025

British singer-songwriter Bridget St. John opened the show solo, performing Michael Chapman's Rabbit Hills. "Or was it my imagination again?" She sounded gorgeous, delivering folk-rock tunes with a dreamy, psychedelic tint. Her vocals, of course, are no longer what they were in the days of yore, but they remain impressive and haunting. Bridget paired Joni Mitchell's The Fiddle and the Drum with America the Beautiful into a seamless medley. Kevin Ayers' Jolie Madame was performed in French, with Willie Aron joining on keyboards and sticking around. I especially enjoyed St. John's old tune Ask Me No Questions, as well as another Kevin Ayers gem, The Oyster and the Flying Fish. She wrapped her set with a few songs performed alongside Evie Sands and her band. What a gorgeous first part of the night!

Evie Sands's set began immediately, without a break. I have never closely followed her work, as the songs have too often felt lightweight to me. That said, her set turned out to be very pleasant live, featuring catchy, crafty, hooky pop numbers. I do not think I would listen to such music at home, but this did not matter Sunday night at Sweetwater. Evie performed I Can't Let Go, which was her hit in 1965, a year before it was recorded by The Hollies. Bridget returned to the stage to help sing on two more songs.

It was a long and special concert, consisting of two mismatched halves. The first was introspective and folk-oriented, the second danceable and lively. Around fifty people showed up, and seating had been arranged for them. The chairs did not really suit the energy of Evie Sands's set, but there were a fair number of older people in the audience, so I guess it was the best setup to use anyway.

Set list (Bridget St. John, 8:00 PM — 9:07 PM): Rabbit Hills, The Fiddle and the Drum > America the Beautiful, Find the Cost of Freedom > Look at This Child, Jolie Madame (with Willie Aron), The Hole in Your Heart (with Willie Aron), Feel My Love (with Willie Aron), Ask Me No Questions (with Willie Aron), The Oyster and the Flying Fish (with Willie Aron), Fly High (with Evie Sands's band), Castaway (with Evie Sands and her band), If You've Got Money (with Evie Sands and her band)

Set list (Evie Sands and her band, 9:07 PM — 10:28 PM): A Woman's Work Is Never Done, Scandal Du Jour, I Can't Let Go, While I Look at You, I Love Makin' Love to You, Billy Sunshine, Full Dose of Love, The Truth Is in Disguise, My Darkest Days, Brain Damage, Shine for Me, Keep My Lovelight Burnin', Glad You're Gone, I Wanna Fall in Love Again, Angel of the Morning, It's This I Am (with Bridget St. John), If You Give Up (with Bridget St. John), Get Up

Bridget St. John

Evie Sands

Evie Sands and Bridget St. John @ Sweetwater Music Hall, Mill Valley, CA, USA, 04/06/2025

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