Philadelphia singer-songwriter Denison Witmer is like Elliott Smith without the suicidal tendencies. His stark, acoustic songs detail a lifetime’s worth of disappointment. Witmer’s voice and guitar may appear fragile, but happiness is just a sunbeam away. Next month, Witmer releases a two-CD set featuring his hard-to-find debut, Safe Away, and a new EP, Are You a Sleeper? , a companion piece to last year’s Are You a Dreamer? Desolation has never sounded so optimistic.
Thu., Sept. 7, 9 p.m.

This article appears in Sep 6-12, 2006.