Too Much Rock
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Wednesday July 8th, 2009 at The Record Bar in Kansas City, MO
Low, & In The Pines
Alan Sparhawk of Low
Steve Garrington of Low
Laurel Morgan and Hannah Kendle of In the Pines
[more photos]
[linked video]

Note: Photos and video only for this one. The quick account version follows:

In The Pines played a lot of new material, and once the monitor troubles of the first number were sorted out, things sounded great. The set was defined by soothing vocals spread amongst four voices, twinkling violin and viola strings, and slow electric guitar colourings that were occasionally punctuated by complex rhythms driven home by Brad Hodgson's impassioned acoustic guitar. The new material doesn't lean so heavily on the reconstruction era folk the band once relied on, but those elements still provide inspiration. I eagerly await the new album.

Of course Low were lovely. Although I still contend I'd prefer to watch the band from the comfort of a lazy boy, most of the audience were riveted to the minutia of the band's material. Low tried out a number of new tracks (some still lyrically works in progress), most songs droned on and on in delightful one chord ways, "Canada" punched everyone in the guts, and a soulful cover of roots reggae empresario Delroy Wilson's "This Life Makes Me Wonder" followed by "Dinosaur Act" provided a delightful ending to the band's 75-minute set.