This was our second time at a Wailin' Jennys concert. The first was at the Albuquerque Zoo Park's concert shell a few years ago. While both venues are excellent, the KiMo is a more intimate setting with much better acoustics. For most groups, this would make little difference, but the Jennys' astonishingly intricate, subtly shifting harmonies and range of instrumental expression are best appreciated in an acoustically refined environment.
Just as what is omitted in the visual arts, or left unsaid in literary works, can powerfully define what is presented, the Jenny's achieve optimal emotional impact with each song by manipulating the aural white space -- masterfully employing sparse, simple instrumentals and frequently singing a cappella.
The Jennys bring in rousing, densely textured instrumentals in other pieces, managing just the right balance to keep the audience alternatively in deep reverie or at the edge of ecstasy.