On Wednesday night, Megafaun and Bowerbirds rolled through Cleveland, and in the fashion of reciprocal need, we got the chance to hang with the band and had a killer party at my house on the southside of town. By the end of the night, about nine people were crashing all over my house, and if the amazing talent in the band isn’t a secret, you’ll be happy to know that they’re great people, as well. Phil Moore (guitarist/vocalist) and Beth Tacular (vocals/accordion/keys) were gracious housegests and also a killer live act. It’s also no secret in the blogosphere that Bowerbirds’ fresh new release, Upper Air is loaded with soaring indie rock greatness. It’s been on our playlist for quite awhile, and while we were definitely stoked to hang out with the guys (and gal) on Wednesday, it’s been even more of a treat for us to see them absoultely bring the house down at Pitchfork on the side stage a couple hours ago.
To open, Tacular started on the keyboard and Moore gently strummed his beat-up classical guitar. Immediately, it’s obvious that sound is the centerpiece. During the set, the audience swayed quietly back and forth as the trio (along with Brad Cook from Megafaun on the upright) launched through some slow burners and dreamy folk infused indie rock. Cook’s upright bass, along with the employment of a bass drum turned onto its side creates a unique balance between highs and lows in the band’s sound. A classical guitar/keyboard duo never sounded so full and sonorous, in other words. Additionally, it doesn’t take long for Bowerbirds to hit a stride when they perform live. Moore has a quiet confidence on stage, and this is an added boon to his stellar chops.
Musically, there’s a maturity to the arrangements, and when the drummer hit the violins, it melted nicely with Tacular’s accordion work. With Bowerbirds, it’s all about emotional connection and energy, and all cylinders were hit today. As mentioned before, Bowerbirds is currently on tour with Megafaun, and it should be a summer requirement to hit this if it’s near your town. CLICK HERE for tour dates. Also, enjoy Northern Lights off of Upper Air and snag the album at insound by CLICKING HERE.
More pictures after the jump…..
