The Bootleg Theatre is a storefront with plywood-lined walls and a slightly raised stage in an out-of-the-way Los Angeles neighborhood. Its no-frills, pretension-less appearance was a perfect compliment to the evening's music.
Opening was Timber Timbre from Canada, which found singer-songwriter Taylor Kirk, playing a reverb-heavy guitar and keeping rhythm with his foot on bass drum, accompanied by violinist Mika Posen and Simon Trottier, who alternated between slide guitar and autoharp. After tuning up, they went right into the first song without any segue and played for about 35 minutes. Not knowing any of the material, the lyrics were rather tough to make out, but the music was interesting. Kirk sang over blues riffs augmented by arrangements that brought to mind spooky carnivals and broken-down calliopes. Every song blended into the next with slight variation, so the listener likely enjoyed it all or none of it.
Other than the song "Charlie Darwin," The Low Anthem's music was also equally unknown to me. The band is a quartet of multi-instrumentalists (Ben Knox Miller, Jeff Prystowsky, Jocie Adams, and Mat Davidson) playing neo-traditional folk. After every song, they grabbed different instruments and took up different positions on stage. Although "different instruments" doesn't do the band's scope justice, because at any time throughout the evening someone might be playing a WWI portable pump organ, a harmonium, a gut-strung parlor axe, a nipple gong, crotales, and even a rusty saw.
Over the course of their hour-long set, many of the songs were similar as Miller's melancholic vocals were backed by acoustic arrangements. They played selections off both their albums and introduced a couple of new songs. The music was simple, straightforward, and competently played. Prystowsky's work on stand-up bass was the only demonstration of virtuosity. Their performance had an extremely loose feel, and I wondered if there had been a sound check considering the few, albeit brief, technical issues. Although very enjoyable, a more dynamic setlist would have been greatly appreciated in conjunction with the 11:30pm start time in the seatless theatre.
Article comments
1 - Mark Saleski
i don't understand the super-late start either. this isn't exactly rock the house music.
on the other hand, you can sort of see why i like them now, eh?
2 - El Bicho
Yeah, by the time they finished combined with a 45-minute drive home and what was going to be an early morning to take my mom in for hip surgery, the closing act had no hope I was going to stay and see them.
I have seen acts in clubs that hit stage at 10ish but 1130 seemed a bit much. And a 1245 set?! Maybe I am too old and not taking the right drugs but good grief. They canceled the night before so I don't know if someone was ill or they got to town late.
Just hearing the music anyone can hear why you like the band. I bought "OMGCD" at show and need to pick up the other album. They need to follow Dead model and allow for tapers. Would go a long way to helping them along.
3 - Kevin Gustafson
I've got that beat. I saw You Say Party! We Say Die! a couple of weeks ago and they started at 11:45PM. It wasn't illness. The first band broke beer bottles onstage. At this other club, the headliner started near 1 AM. That's because this club and it's stage are so tiny,every band's gear has to be hauled out the kitchen and through the bar. The bands need to fully set up and break down in between sets.
4 - El Bicho
Too funny. I almost added a story about the Bootleg ambiance. The men's room light went out and I had to use my phone to see what I was doing. Glad I had only had a couple of beers.
5 - El Bicho
so close to double digit diggs, yet so far away