On Oct. 11, The Black Sheep, a music venue on E Platte Ave, had fans anticipating an unforgettable night of indie folk music, a classic genre for the Mountain West. I was feeling anticipatory myself — I had no idea what the long-haired blonde musician Hans Williams might bring.
The venue wasn’t full at the outset, but as the night went on, people slowly trickled into the dark, wide room. Hours later, it was cramped with teenage girls and couples looking for a good night out. As people walked in, there was an eagerness to take photos in the old-style photo booth.
Before Williams took the stage, Cece Coakley, the opener, quickly won over the crowd with her humor and effortless stage presence. Coakley looked like she could be a Colorado College student, with her bandana and flannel. Scouting the room, I wasn’t surprised to see a small row of CC students squeezed together like peas in a pod.
Coakley had the room laughing when she joked about her “skinny, horribly tattooed ex” who lives in Colorado Springs, teasing that someone in the audience might even know him.
It was my first time seeing Coakley and she felt personable and real. While most openers struggle to rally a crowd, she did remarkably well as an up-and-coming artist. Coakley performed her songs “865” and “Future Tense,” filling the venue with warm vocals and getting people up on their feet. Between songs, she shared that she was a longtime fan of Williams and was thrilled to be joining him on tour.
The small group of CC students stood among the crowd, eagerly anticipating Williams’ performance. During his set, the girls hollered for “93,” an older track released in 2019. Williams spoke sincerely about feeling disconnected from his earlier music, suggesting he has moved beyond that era of his career. It was not surprising that Williams refused to play “93,” as the style differs vastly from his current music.
Williams performed the first three songs, “True Feeling,” “Hard Road” and “Holey Fence,” from his album “Songs for the Neighbors,” soon to be released on Nov. 13. The hit of this Sunday night included the acoustic version of “All Is Well,” which came out in 2022. The crowd sang along, and the venue hummed with emotion.
The vibes were definitely high. The show ran from about 8 to 11 p.m. and ended with two bangers, “Skin” and “Williams.” Had I heard his music before this live show? Yes, maybe 10 times or so throughout high school. It was definitely worth the rile-up after such a long, intensive block.
Was it what I expected? I don’t know. Some tears were shed, and my hips were moving the whole time. It was a nice way to end a Sunday night: in a dimly lit room downtown, heads bobbing, people brought together by the music of two wonderful artists.