I have been following the career of Pittsburgh native Brooke Annibale for the last several years, but she had never made it out to Seattle until earlier this year. Unfortunately because of a scheduling conflict, I was unable to attend her show back in July, so when I heard that she would be making a return trip just three months later, I could not pass it up. So mid-week, Jess and I made the trek into Ballad, a neighborhood in Seattle, to catch the folk-rock singer songwriter at the small intimate Tractor Tavern.

This is not the first time we have made our way to the Tractor Tavern, but it is a small venue that holds a couple hundred people. The set up is decent, with a small stage near the back of the venue with a long, unobstructed view from pretty much anywhere in the slightly elevated room. The full service bar is off to the left of the entrance and has a great selection of local craft brews to the large macros along with an assortment of ciders, hard alcohol and wines. The staff is always friendly and quick.

I think one of the only gripes that I have about the location is the parking. Parking in the Ballard neighborhood is a disaster. There are a few paid parking lots, but for the most part, good luck finding any street parking.

After making our way to the bar, grabbing a drink, Jess settled in at the back of the room with a seat and I made my way to the front to grab a few photos of Brooke Annibale‘s set. The stage at the Tractor Tavern is a perfect set up for an artist like Brooke Annibale. It is small and your attention is focused forward directly toward the artist. Her style of music is subtle and tender with a genuine flood of emotions. Vocally, she is, as my friend and writer Brian Palmer would say, “smoky” and “honest” and I could not agree more.

Her voice is enchanting and her folk-Americana sound from previous releases (like Silence Worth Breaking and The Simple Fear) has been deeply infused with a more bluesy indie-pop sound. Taking those modernized soundscape and layering it with her brilliant, poetic lyrics and you have an artist that is flourishing before your eyes. She found a way to transport you to her world with her warmth and immeasurable depth in her voice.

So after seven years of listening to Brooke Annibale‘s growth on CDs and SoundCloud, to finally see her live on stage was an absolute treat and I would recommend that you take the time to see her when she comes to your town. Nothing better than to see an artist who loves what she does.

Pick up the brand new album, Hold To The Light, by Brooke Annibale on iTunes now.

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