Venues
Events
MediaMusic
A Modern Classic
Bonnie “Prince” Billy at the Apollo
Bonnie “Prince” Billy (Photo: Jesse Fischler)
Everyone loves a sad song. A melancholy tune with a glimmer of hope draws even more in. And Will Oldham, known widely by the moniker Bonnie “Prince” Billy, is truly a master of all things that hurt so good.
But that isn’t to call him prosaic. The complexity of emotion translated through each of his tracks, from Beware’s “I am Goodbye” to “The Way” from Master and Everyone, treats listeners to a cozy feeling usually associated with Sunday afternoons buried in a cocoon of blankets on the couch or a walk through the neighborhood on a drizzly day—bittersweet and familiar.
This month, Oldham brings his act to the historic Apollo Theater in Harlem. On a stage famous for hosting Amateur Night at the Apollo, running continuously since 1934, and acts like Stevie Wonder, George Clinton and Tony Bennett, Bonnie “Prince” Billy will deliver his own classic sound, combining drifting guitars that spin simple melodies with energetic alt-country tunes at once hopeful and longing.
The Apollo has seen its share of talent both established and up-and-coming, and catching Oldham in this unique setting further solidifies the theater’s legend. Only one question remains: will he rub the Tree of Hope before taking the stage?