Donovan Woods Brings Comedy And Emotion To A Packed 7th Street Entry

Another weekend has somehow flown by. I honestly would love to know where time has been going these days. I feel like I had just gotten off of work on Friday, and then, POOF!, I was at my final show of the weekend. Luckily for me, the last show I had on Sunday (because, naturally, I pulled a double-header Sunday) was the kind of show that sets you up for success when it comes to the week ahead.

The beautiful and highly talented Katelyn Tarver took the stage at the intimate 7th Street Entry in Minneapolis first. I was instantly in love with her calming aura and her absolutely gorgeous voice (and her guitar playing wasn’t half bad either). At thirty-four years old, Katelyn has done a little bit of everything from acting (she was in a couple of shows, including Big Time Rush and The Secret Life of the American Teenager) to doing the music thing. She was actually on the short-lived reality TV show ‘American Juniors’ which was basically American Idol for kids. Although that show didn’t last and she didn’t win, I loved hearing her talk about those experiences and how they set her on the path that she seems to be on these days.

What is that path? Well, it’s not the path to being the next Brittney Spears like she had envisioned as a child, but I think that’s a good thing. The path that Katelyn is on now is paved with roads of raw emotion and stunning music. Every song that she sang during her opening set on Sunday hit me just right. I honestly didn’t think I was in the mood to be so touched by a set as I had spent my time earlier in the night at a super high-energy show (more on that in my next post) yet it hit me like a pile of beautiful bricks that I was happy to be crushed under the weight of.

Even with that heavy sense of emotion behind the songs, there was something so carefree and almost playful behind Katelyn’s aura. From the funny little stories she would tell between tracks to how she smiled at the crowd both during and between tracks, something about Katelyn was electrifying even though her music was a bit more subdued. One of my favorite parts of her set was when she was playing a song and messed up a small guitar part. She continued after the little wobble and then added a line of lyrics about how she appreciated the crowd sticking with her through the wobble. I know that she probably hates that I’m bringing this up, but it just added this sense of charm to her set that I could not get enough of.

The charm didn’t end when Katelyn left the stage. In fact, it only grew as headlining act Donovan Woods took over. Donovan Woods is a singer-songwriter from Ontario, Canada. His style is very folksy, with an almost southern drawl at points. I know what you’re thinking; this isn’t at all my usual cup of tea, but after a very soft and subtle opening, Donovan started to show his true colors to the crowd. Those colors were a rainbow of comedy and emotion blended perfectly into an engaging set that I truly never wanted to end.

First, let’s talk about the comedy. With how almost serious his music feels, the jokes he was cracking between songs kind of caught me off guard, but in a good way. He talked about the differences between crowds in Canada and America (I would expand on that, but he specifically asked that nobody put his words on the internet) and how he would honestly rather chat with the audience a bit longer rather than jump right into a track as his band clearly wanted. When he was chatting with the audience, it was with an almost dry sense of emotion and humor. It’s kind of like he wasn’t trying to be funny, but he’s just one of those funny kinds of people who, no matter what he does, will make you chuckle and smile.

Although his music was a bit less bright, there was an undeniable sense of charm behind it. Whether you fell for his silky smooth yet perfectly weathered voice or the lyrics that were relatable and, like Katelyn’s raw and full of emotion, you were falling for Donovan with every passing beat. Joined on stage by three other marvelous musicians, I loved how Donovan’s voice was the center of attention throughout the night, but it was clear that the backing band was not to be ignored. It was a perfect balance between power and beauty and one that I’ve seen many singer-songwriters attempt but fail miserably at.

With nine albums out there, Donovan is not a spring chicken when it comes to music. I honestly didn’t know the name and was solely at this show because, well, why not? But I loved how excited everyone else in the packed room was. It was one of those shows where taking pictures almost felt wrong because the sound of the shutter on my camera seemed to be a loud bang in the softness of the night, and, honestly, after just a few snaps, I gave up on the photo thing. Donovan Woods’ set was one of those where, even though I knew nothing about this man or his music prior to walking into the 7th Street Entry on Sunday night, I instantly felt this deep connection, and it was one I was not going to let pass me by.

Like I said, Sunday night’s time with Katelyn Tarver and Donovan Woods may have been very chill and a bit out of my normal comfort zone, but it was such a beautiful way to end the weekend and set up what is sure to be an insane yet amazing week.