Angel Olsen: Alive From Hollywood Forever Cemetery

Angel Olsen performing at The Hollywood Forever Cemetery, Los Angeles by Shelby Pfau

Cemetery hosted olsen and opener king tuff

Angel Olsen is telling the crowd she wants to try a new song. “I was just… I was having the weirdest dream last night and I woke up, and I had to jot it down,” she shyly croons in amusement, and gently asks her band if they can follow her on a new song and that she’ll play slow, “kind of in G,” she adds for more precise instruction. A responsive bass line affirms the plan on behalf of the band and cues her to erupt into 2016’s ferocious anthem “Shut Up Kiss Me,” all the while flashing a sweetly smug toothy grin. I was shocked, only in my dreams did I ever expect to hear this song at the very top of a set; the third song, to be exact, preceded only by “Spring” off of 2019’s All Mirrors, and “Dream Thing” from her latest record, Big Time.  

Angel Olsen performing at The Hollywood Forever Cemetery, Los Angeles by Shelby Pfau

The cemetery might be an obvious place to spot an angel, but surely none with the radiance of Olsen; her warmth could light a fire from a mile away, and she has charm that you could bottle and clip to a bracelet. Her personability is vibrant, and especially given Hollywood Forever’s somewhat unique BYOP (bring-your-own-picnic… and booze) policy, this evening with Angel Olsen felt almost like being her guest at a backyard dinner party. A privilege, indeed. 

Just before the middle of the set, Olsen’s performance of “All Mirrors” adds a new halo effect. Once again caught by surprise, the crowd leans in. With both a cellist and violinist alongside her, Olsen’s power beams like a force of nature. The instrumentals bellow with beauty, and the song’s natural tension builds like a cocoon, wholly encapsulating listeners until the final release lifts like a butterfly; its conclusion reminiscent of the end of a storm when the air is still fragrant with rain and the sun’s reflections are shimmering like diamonds across nourished earth. In our case, steamed rainbows from the light against the fog created a prism-like mosaic in the air between us. Unreal, ethereal movement surrounds the cemetery with Olsen in the middle of it all, poised and graceful as ever. 

Angel Olsen performing at The Hollywood Forever Cemetery, Los Angeles by Shelby Pfau

Following “All Mirrors,” there was a particular collective unity, as we had all ridden the suspense of the track to its fullest degree so that diving back into Olsen’s discography was like happy hour at sunset. Pace changed a bit too, and the second half saw endless couples embracing and friends sharing wine. Seeing people holding each other was especially true for songs like “Ghost On,” “Right Now,” and “All The Good Times,” off of her most recent record, Big Time, which feels right considering the overall tenderness of the album. The night closed with a cover of “Without You” by Harry Nilsson, which complemented the evening and its sentimental undertones as an exquisitely gentle goodnight. Check out the set list here!

PS: Check out our gallery of photos from the performance!

PS: Check out our gallery of photos from the performance!