To stand out as a man with an acoustic guitar takes some doing, as anyone who's been to a coffeehouse open mic can attest. Gabriel Wolfchild makes unapologetically somber music that somehow avoids the pitfall of maudlin naval-gazing. Gabriel Wolfchild's voice is clear and steady, devoid both of showboating and of ponderous whisper-singing. His collaboration with multi-instrumentalist Maesyn only enriched the quality of his songwriting. Maesyn's contribution of violin and harmony on their album, A Cry to the Moon, expands and enlivens the proceedings, freeing it from the solo singer-songwriter palate and transporting it into a world of folk that extends to world music, blues and Tom Waits-indebted balladeering. What mostly stands out about Gabriel Wolfchild is his storytelling. Each of his songs unfolds in ways that validate their sparse surroundings.

GABRIEL WOLFCHILD, w/ Bitches in the Beehive, Noodlebird and the Celestials, 7 p.m., Northern, 414 ½ Legion Way, Olympia, $5, olympiaallages.org

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Calendar: Arts and Entertainment

Calendar: Music and Nightlife