Bowerbirds, Sharon Van Etten, and Peter Wolf Crier

To say $10 was a bargain for the 3-band bill at the High Noon Saloon last night would be a tremendous understatement. I was looking forward to all 3 and am happy to report that not only did each exceed expectations: they each found their own way to get it done.

I had not heard Peter Wolf Crier (stream the new album here) until looking him up in the days leading up to the show. Really like the recorded disc but the live show brought a lot more to the table. The duo employed some live-looping and other pedal work to add a lot to the performance.

Sharon Van Etten appeared quietly, armed only with her bright red guitar. She began singing under the crowds conversations that had started after Peter Wolf Crier had left the stage. After a few seconds, the conversations reluctantly gave way and her incredible voice was allowed to carry over the crowd. The lyrics were sometimes hard to pick up (our fault for sitting up top for this type of show) — but that voice and presence definitely carried through.

The Bowerbirds had their work cut out for them at that point and came through with flying colors. Phil Moore really impressed me live – He took over the stage with powerful vocals on top of the groups slow melodies – Beth Tactular’s vocals were the perfect compliment. The set included much of (the recently released) Upper Air as well as many “older tracks” – I only know the most recent disc, so I can’t place where the others were from, but I can tell you that they were at least as good as the more recent work.