Momentum has been building as Courtney Barnett tours the country in support of her full-length debut, Sometimes I Sit And Think, And Sometimes I Just Sit. The frenzy accompanying the first of two sold out nights at LA's Roxy Theater served as confirmation, as well as a homecoming of sorts. A home away from home, if you will, as LA served as one of four places on the globe blessed with a gallery premier show of the new work back in March, Fully engaged with her rhythm section, the trio blazed through their set, balancing new and old material, but the tipping point for viewing how far she's come occured during "Depreston", when the crowd spontaneously sang the end refrain back to her. Truly a touching moment. "Small Poppies" and "Dead Fox" were also standouts, capturing the polar ends of her spectrum.
While waiting for Chastity Belt to hit the stage, one was given to ponder just what the appropriate name for this tour would be: "Battle of the C.B.'s", or perhaps a more formal "Courtney Belt". Ruminations aside, the band more than held up their end of this magic billing. Last fall in Lancaster, CA, we got our first taste of the songs that would form the spine of Time To Go Home, and the LP saw formal release in March. Roadwork in the interim has sharpened up the songs, to the point where their set featured only the Home material, plus even newer unreleased songs, ("Dull"). "IDC", the title track, and especially "On The Floor" served to spotlight the band interplay, and opener "Drone" is one of the better examples of Julia Shapiro's incisive writing. Moving forward is what Chastity Belt does, and the Roxy's refurbished system really brought out the depth of their sound.
Veteran Australian troubador Darren Hanlon opened the night with a witty and engaging set of story songs, peaking with "Punks Not Dead", a reminisce of his days living in a punk house in Sydney. It was a great introduction to an artist we'll make a point to get more familiar with. If your ears bend to the taste of Paul Kelly or Peter Case, make a note of his name. Only bum note of his set was on the too-talkative audience members, but it's a measure of his professionalism that he didn't go full Kozelek on them, instead quickly expediting the situation.
After last summer's revelatory show at Pappy and Harriet's
in Pioneertown, during idle chat with her rhythm section, Bones Sloane
and Dave Mudie, I expressed pleasure that the show livelier than I was
expecting from the LP...Bones positively bubbled: "Wait 'til you hear the new
album...", which I chalked up to being on the home side, but now have a
much deeper appreciation for his enthusiasm. We also touched on their
thoughts on their forthcoming appearance at SF's Outsidelands Festival, which the band handled with ease. Now into the new year, that brings us current...
With the approach of her new album's release looming, Courtney Barnett showed off Sometimes I Sit And Think, And Sometimes I Just Sit, (out on Mom + Pop Music in the States), with four invite-only listening parties around the world, covering Sydney, Melbourne, London, and a sole stateside appearance in LA. Friday the 13th didn't seem to faze her in the least, as she set up base camp at Dilettante in downtown LA. Expanding the confines beyond a mere listening party, the gallery was set up to display her "Chair" series of sketches, along with photos taken by Tajette O'Halloran during the studio sessions. Taking form as the trio version of the Courtney Barnetts, herself accompanied by drummer Dave Mudie and bassist Bones Sloane, they blew through the entire LP, track for track, in a spare, open space enlivened by projections of the artwork of Celeste Potter, who did the honors on Barnett's "Anonymous Club" video. Fellow Milk! Records artist Fraser A. Gorman took care of the opening duties, and he seemed intent on making his first trip to LA memorable. Highlights from his set included opener "Book Of Love" and an emotional reading of "Dark Eyes".
The band hit the stage, and with little fanfare, they slammed into the one/two opening punch of shaggy dog story "Elevator Operator" and first single "Pedestrian At Best". The first thought was of the overall comfort level of the band, and as much as I love the EP's, the consistency of sound brings back visions of Elvis Costello and the Attractions, circa This Year's Model, when the band was bedded in, and the songs just vibrated, exuding an urgency far and above his debut. "An Illustration of Loneliness (Sleepless In New York)", while lyrically as advertised, was given a joyful rendition by Courtney. As the journey through the album progressed, intensity was the watchword, captured most notably in the harrowing "Small Poppies". Coming off the fiery conclusion, the band settle into "Depreston", with Barnett executing ornery guitar lines at the end. Dave and Bones backing vocals were more pronounced than on the recorded version, and the chemistry really clicks when they all sing together. Midway through, Barnett lost the use of her own monitor, but barely registered a shrug, and soldiered on, harkening back to last year's show, when she snuck onstage and restrung the opening band's guitar after a mishap.
"Aqua Profunda!" was introduced as "a song about swimming", and indeed, it was a song about swimming. With the typical Barnett subtexts, of course. "Dead Fox" once again hones what we could consider The Courtney Tradition, boiling up dizzying wordplay out of little more than throwaway lines and a chorus lifted from a truck's safety sticker to conjure a mortality meditation. Drummer Dave Mudie stepped up to the plate and made his presence felt during the driving "Nobody Really Cares If You Don't Go To The Party". "Debbie Downer" continued the uptempo stomp mode, setting up the grand finale. Following the "Small Poppies" template, "Kim's Caravan" turned a moody dirge with a "going up the river to see Col. Kurtz vibe" into transcendent guitar fireworks that served as the full bands farewell, and they went out on a high note, leaving the stage to Courtney for the heart-tugging ballad, "Boxing Day Blues", and she drew out the last notes, finally quieting the hum of the industry crowd, forcing them to lean forward, rapt.
Going in, I thought it would strictly be a "listening party", not a show, and it turned out to be much more than that...let's call it a sort of homecoming. With that for a warmup, the band will be moving on to turn heads in Austin at SXSW. They'll return to the US for some high profile festivals, including Sasquatch, and a return to LA in the company of Seattle's Chastity Belt at the end of May. Many thanks to Dilettante LA, Milk! Records, and Mom + Pop Music for the stellar hospitality and an unforgettable evening.
