The night ended with him asking for a credit card. And he got one (a Capital One Visa) lightning fast along with the offer of a lollipop, sadly rejected for not being a suitable plectrum for the dulcimer. But a better encapsulation of the night you won’t find: a tinge of whimsy on the edges of something very intimate and loose, like being at a house show.

Immediately after Patrick Wolf finished his first song, someone behind me immediately had to dab their eyes and stiffle their sniffles. A solo set invites a greater sense of closeness with the artist, but I wasn’t expecting that kind of reaction so soon. Most house shows also don’t have the artist juggling eight instruments (not counting the various mixers and pedals I spotted) and adding to the loose feel of the night were the various hiccups, from some backing track shenanigans to the midi guitar deciding not to cooperate, that were (rightfully) blamed on the heat. But Patrick very smoothly elided over these and they just served to further invite us into his performance. He also had a very sweet story about the dulcimer, which he’s had for over 20 years and how North Carolina was a homecoming for it and therefore it would be front and center whenever he played it. The contrast between the softness of his voice during banter and the strength of his vocals singing was funny to witness. Also funny was how timid the audience was when he was getting us to yell “rage” during The Beast. But the people there were all truly there for him and, timidity aside, were there for him (to the point of surrendering a Capital One Visa) and in turn Patrick was there for them, delivering the enchantment