By GK Gurley | Photo Courtesy Evan Rachel Wood
Evan Rachel Wood is a stunning actress, a gorgeous queer woman, and a resident of Tennessee. Most of us know Evan Rachel Wood as a robot on Westworld. Maybe she is on your radar because of her dapper suit looks at Academy Awards shows. She is a sensational actress across genres, and now she’s adding to her iconic career.
Evan + Zane is a new cover band; Evan Rachel Wood is the lead singer and Zane Carney plays guitar. Her vocal talent is staggering, their connection is genuine, and their shows are for any type of music fan.
Their rule for each show is to pick a theme, choose songs to cover, and only rehearse it once the night before the show. With organic talent, fantastic song choices, and a beautiful aesthetic, their latest show in Nashville was great. They have a jazzy feel and Zane Carney proved that he can play just about everything on guitar. Wood’s voice is strong and soulful, and she balances that with her soft movements and stage presence. It’s a beautiful combination.
Smaller shows in Nashville get monotonous. We’ve seen a quality acoustic set more times than we can count. This town has so much talent that sometimes we get too used to it. Evan + Zane were refreshing because it was not just great music, the show was theatrical.
Each of their shows has a different theme and their show July 3rd at The Basement East was ‘Blue’. From lighting, song choices, to outfits, the aesthetic was perfect. They covered songs across decades and genres but maintained their style through each song. The transitions between songs was seamless, their joy on stage was evident, and the audience couldn’t get enough.
Remember, they only rehearse a show once. Everything felt organic and real; their natural connection was captivating. Zane improvised some amazing guitar solos, and the way Evan Rachel Wood moved and danced as she sang was enchanting. She channeled her acting talents so well that I was transported to the heyday of jazz clubs.
Evan Rachel Wood of course attracts a queer audience, but the crowd at Nashville’s show was made up of every different kind of person. That’s the beauty of this style of show; they cover Lana Del Ray, Billie Holiday, and so many others that fans of all types of music can enjoy Evan + Zane’s music.
Evan + Zane is so new that there is little information about future touring dates, but keep them on your radar. We don’t know if they’re writing original songs or plan to continue this set-up of covering songs under a theme. I loved their show’s structure, and being as talented as they are, I would also love to hear some original songs. They have been performing at some venues in L.A. for a while, and this was their first Nashville show. Considering that Wood lives in Tennessee, I have my fingers crossed that I’ll see them again soon.
Editor note: Carney has posted tour dates for Evan & Zane on his website.
