The critically acclaimed musician began the show with three songs from her debut release The Milk-Eyed Mender. Her voice and harp playing were then augmented by a five-piece backing band to perform her new album Ys in its entirety, including the 16-minute epic “Only Skin.”

Sixteen-minute songs and harps usually evoke a feeling of complete boredom, but Newsom’s singing and harp playing left the crowd silent. Her songs meandered through the spectrum of music, incorporating elements of American folk, modern pop, traditional Japanese and even 15th century Renaissance music.

“It was an incredible performance. She took the full symphony arrangements from Ys and reduced it down to six instruments,” said Scott Devey, a sophomore from Canton, Mich. “Her music evokes a nostalgic feeling, using animals and childhood feelings as metaphors to express more serious subject matter.”

This was Joanna Newsom’s first performance with a band. In addition to her harp, the concert featured accordion, mandolin, banjo, percussion, guitar and even a saw played with a cello bow – definitely not a traditional instrument in popular music.

After studying composition and creative writing at Mills College in Oakland, Calif., the classically trained Newsom played at country clubs and weddings. She was then discovered by singer Will Oldham, who signed her to his record label Drag City.

For her new album, Newsom enlisted help from arranger Van Dyke Parks, who has worked with U2. Steve Albini, the engineer who worked with Nirvana worked with Parks to add a rich layer to Newsom’s delicate storytelling. Under The Radar magazine described the album as “poetic” and “refreshingly subtle.”

Newsom is part of a new breed of folk songwriters that blur the distinctions between different genres of music, creating something unique and fresh. Joanna Newsom, Devendra Banhart, Iron and Wine, Sufjan Stevens and M. Ward are at the head of this movement.

For more information on Joanna Newsom visit www.dragcity.com.