“Norwegian shares the same dialect as Danish”. “I will speak Norwegian with someone if you like.”

Building a name, a brand, a product, particularly one that resonates and has legs for the long haul, is work, a great deal of work. It includes playing on a pleasant Sunday evening in Stoughton, for perhaps 200 people.

The venue was built for Agnes Obel.

“Stoughton. I read in Wikipedia that it was settled by Norwegians.”

I listen to Los Angeles’s KCRW occasionally. Some years ago – ah, it was June, 2011, Agnes Obel appeared on their signature show: “Morning Becomes Eclectic”. I found her music interesting and bought a few tracks.

“This is our first time in Wisconsin.”

Glancing through Madison’s “alternative weekly” Isthmus last week, Obel’s name appeared on the upcoming events list. Sunday night. Stoughton. Opera House. Sure.

Obel’s music is not for everyone.

Yet, finding Stoughton, WI listed on her current tour along with Toronto, Minneapolis, Chicago, New York, Cambridge, Montreal, Quebec City, Brisbane, Sydney and Melbourne tells us ….. something.

I suspect she will be back, playing a larger venue. Oh, Lyle Lovett played at Madison’s Overture Center Sunday evening. $35.50 to $56.00. Obel’s $11 to $22 in Stoughton was the better value. I say that as a fan of both.

Godspeed to Obel’s entourage.

A panorama and a few photos follow: