Haley Heynderickx unfurls gorgeously dark gems, lush fingerpicking at Wealthy Theatre

By Enrique Olmos

It was a mid-week treat for discerning Grand Rapids indie-folk fans.

Portland folk songwriter Haley Heynderickx presented a gorgeous set of songs at Grand Rapids’ Wealthy Theatre on Wednesday with the accompaniment of her bandmates Abbey Blackwell and Haley Freedland on upright bass and trombone, respectively.

Her somber compositions and lush fingerpicking on a classical guitar gel over a captivated audience. Opening with “The Bug Collector” and “No Face,” Heynderickx floated seamlessly between two of her most popular songs to crest a cohesive opening arrangement.

One of the evening’s most impressive moments arrived, oddly enough, when Heynderickx tuned her guitar. The band performed a song while she tuned and sang, fitting each string into the chord structure.

Despite the often dark and heavy imagery of her music, Heynderickx also has a knack for the comedic and satirical, both in song and banter.

Toward the end of the set, she joked about striving to hit her prime in her later years: “I hope that someday have I have long, gray hair that hangs over my guitar while I play these songs.”

PHOTO GALLERY: Haley Heynderickx at Wealthy Theatre
Photos by Loren Johnson