never fall away

In lieu of yet another proper post, I bring pictures from the two shows I went to last week, both of which surpassed all my expectations for very different reasons.

Laura Marling @ The El Rey Theatre (7-28-10)


Laura is stormy and soulful and a well of sadness and hope and captivating in such a raw and powerful way. You could hear a pin drop during the entirety of the set, the audience was so rapt with silent attention. I've never been part of an audience so in awe of a performer before that we all dared not speak or make a sound lest we interrupt the moment.

There's also Laura's band to mention. They are phenomenal and when they play together, the five part harmony is so full, so lush, it's spine chilling in the best possible way. Pete Roe's voice in particular blends so well with Laura's that I may or may not have gasped when he started singing on the first song.

It's hard to reconcile Laura's youth with her world wary lyrics and the depth of her earthy voice, but it's impossible not to believe ever word, feel every emotion, and marvel at her unadulterated talent.

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Civil Twilight @ The Hotel Cafe (7-29-10)


It's been a year since I first heard "Letters From the Sky" on Harper's Island (yes, that song from that episode) and after missing them when they were in town in April because I was in New York, I was determined to see them this time around. And boy am I glad that I did! Holy shit, you guys. I never expected what we got Thursday night. They were unbelievable. They are, by far, a better live band than they are a recorded one. If you've ever been to the Hotel Cafe, you know how small a venue it is and they just about brought the walls down.

Every song was over five minutes long, sweeping anthems that swelled to epic proportions and had the entire audience cheering. Andrew, the guitarist, is masterful and played every inch of his guitar in ways I've never seen before (he did play it with a bow at one point, one of my favorite tricks). Steven, Andrew's brother, lead singer, and bass and keyboard player, sounds even more incredible live, with a stunningly solid falsetto voice and considerably more rhythm than you'd expect.

Absolute Punk's review of their album pretty much says it all.

Needless to say, I was stoked to find out that they'll be opening for Jimmy Eat World in the fall. I can't wait to see them again!


You can find the rest of my photos at my flickr account.