Concert review: Kurt Vile & the Violators w/ Twisted Teens | 11.07.26, The Sovereign (with photo gallery)

Photo of Kurt Vile by Laura Jerele

I’ve covered Kurt Vile shows before, and I thought I knew the deal with his super laidback vibes, hair like a mop, and a raspy, low voice like a guy narrating his own dream with plucky lyrics. Match that with singy guitar lines that wind around and around like they’re looking for a place to lie down, but don’t. That’s how a Vile show feels to me, and this one brought even more energy from him and the audience. 

Every part of this show at the Sovereign felt high energy without being frenetic or crazy. Kurt Vile is such a steady-as-a-rock performer. Kurt stood in the middle of it all, calm and unbothered and dead-on with every note. He’s a master at being unbothered by huge audiences and fame, and I could tell from the very start that he was totally having fun! The Violators were as amazing as ever, being tight and loose at the same time—which should be impossible, but that’s exactly what a Kurt Vile performance is all about. The stage was simple with the feel of a roadside stop, with a touch of John Prine goodness for good measure. 

All the floppy-haired, shoes-untied goodness was right there in the audience, too, with everyone being chill but still swaggering (not quite dancing, but totally into it) and grinning while chugging cocktails. Sloppy on the surface, steadfast underneath. Wild. I loved how diverse and quirky the evening felt. And speaking of quirky, Kurt Vile’s songs are so unique and full of that unique feel that actually draws you in like storytellers and good songwriters do. I often describe him as mellow and woozy and you can’t stop listening. 

He was in great form, giving a lot smiles as he crushed through his songs. This setlist was fantastic. “Pretty Pimpin’” arrived like how it feels: a total strut. It felt like the biggest hit of the night but was not the last song played. His set included “Wakin’ on a Pretty Day,” “Hey Like A Child,” “Red Room Dub,” and “Chance to Bleed.” How did he end the set? “Every Time I Look at You,” which felt like he was looking at the crowd and feeling that way about us. Fabulous. 

The Sovereign is gorgeous and the packed house made it slightly bonkers, but I love a near-sellout for artists like this. I also love the feeling of new music in an old venue. Nobody had much elbow room, and I don’t think they minded.

Oh, and Twisted Teens opened! This is my first time catching them and I enjoyed how punk and folk they were, such a cool blend of styles and genres. They came out loud and fuzzy and yeah, a little bit feral, which I freaking loved. It was also great to see people actually stopped chatting to watch, which is rare enough to count as a miracle at shows these days. Get on that train, this was a really great band doing something quite unique and will you tap toes and feeling like causing chaos. | Laura Jerele