‘Hard To Put It Into Words’: Langhorne Slim Performs at August Hall In San Francisco

Folk artist Langhorne Slim performed at August Hall in San Francisco on November 1. The show was so impressive that it is “hard to put it into words,” as Langhorne says in his song “House of My Soul (You Light the Rooms).”

The crowd spanned quite a mix of ages–ranging from college-aged to elderly. People gathered, chatting in their own respective groups while awaiting the show. However, within the first song, that changed: Langhorne has special abilities to bring everyone together. The entire crowd danced and sang as one. In fact, Langhorne even joined the crowd throughout multiple points in the show. He often stepped off of the stage to greet the audience, dancing and singing with them. Langhorne moved throughout the entire audience, never failing to engage with the audience members at the back as well.

The show began with very lively dance songs. Langhorne danced wildly as he sang and played guitar. The audience matched this energy–their enthusiasm and love for the music was remarkable. Every single person danced. Given that the majority of Langhorne Slim’s music is fairly calm, I was surprised that he started with so many upbeat songs. However, his choice to start off with dance songs set the tone of the entire concert, keeping the audience energetic and engaged.

After his first few songs, Langhorne Slim thanked the audience for joining him and expressed how much he values togetherness and unity at his shows. Then, he transitioned into his slower and sadder songs. The audience swayed and supported one another during the more emotional moments. In between songs, Langhorne shared personal stories about his struggles with addiction and mental illness. He made himself truly vulnerable with the audience as he explained his struggles. His most recent album, Strawberry Mansion, discusses much of his experience coming back from addiction (which he struggled with between 2017 and 2021, before he released Strawberry Mansion). Langhorne shared that Strawberry Mansion is named after the Philadelphia neighborhood where his grandfathers grew up. He highlighted that Strawberry Mansion is also where John Coltrane lived while recovering from his own addiction. Giving context to the audience about his own truths and artistic choices was something that proved to be valuable in listening to his music since the show, making it so much more intimate and personal.

After spending some time playing his heavier songs, he lightened the mood when he sang “House of My Soul (You Light the Rooms),” which is my favorite Langhorne Slim song. It was fantastic live. Soon after this, he invited the audience members to come sing on stage with him. Six audience members joined him on stage, singing with Langhorne and on their own. This was such a fun way to get the audience involved, and made it even more clear that Langhorne Slim performs because he values togetherness and community.

Article and photos by Eliza Scheer