I saw Low last night

[mediocreplayer]

My first concert since 2019!

Low is one of my favorite bands -- they don't have a bad song. I am a bit over the BJ Burton experimentation and wish they can do something a bit different (even if it harkens back to their original sound) instead of just adding more noise with every record (which I enjoy but I think has run its course at this point).

I was standing so close to Alan that I could hear him singing/whispering in addition to his mic'd vocals. He played the Danelectro throughout the entire show. It sounded crappy and amazing at the same time. He had an OP-1 onstage which they used for percussion on one track (Congregation). He brought a Jag on stage but never touched it.

The key to this band is of course the harmonies, which did not disappoint. Incredible singing throughout that is mixed very well -- the quiet parts were heavenly.

For some reason, now that it's the morning/afternoon after, I feel a bit depressed. These guys look weathered. They go on stage and set up their equipment themselves to play a show for a couple hundred people, if that. Then they go in a van and do it all over again. Maybe they love this, but it seems slightly unfair for a band as good as this and for people in their 50s to be doing it that way. This coupled with the aloofness of Sparhawk and post-cancer Mimi just made me sad. It was my daughter's first concert, which I cannot explain why but it also contributed to my overall melancholic mood (and certainly these songs do not help). The bassist did give her the setlist after the show though, which was very sweet.

I loved the show but need to get over these feelings. Maybe I should see where Vulfpeck are playing next.

[Maggieo]

This is the very definition of "bittersweet."

[SignoftheDragon]

The melancholy in your post is a bit contagious- I started to feel the same way after reading!

(Big e-hug) Hang in there buddy.

I've got a lot of history with Low- Alan and my oldest brother were college roommates/bandmates, and we've shared stages between various projects over the decades.

Now I've got the Verve playing through my head...

"all this talk of getting older... "

[mediocreplayer]

The melancholy in your post is a bit contagious- I started to feel the same way after reading!

(Big e-hug) Hang in there buddy.

I've got a lot of history with Low- Alan and my oldest brother were college roommates/bandmates, and we've shared stages between various projects over the decades.

Now I've got the Verve playing through my head...

"all this talk of getting older... "

Thanks man and sorry for being a downer. Very cool to hear about that connection with Low. I also love The Drugs Dont Work and find myself randomly playing it every once in a while.

[burpgun]

I was able to see Low a couple of weeks back in NYC at Webster Hall. It was a good show and I continue to be impressed at how they're able to translate the madness of their last two albums via their current line up. Would still like to know what happened to their last bass player, as Low does seem to cycle through them.

This was my fourth Low show and the last time I saw them, it was part of a multi-night stint at a very small venue in Brooklyn mostly set up for classical. That particular gig was magical and had absolute top tier sound. I've had shows like that with bands that kind of spoil me for everything that comes after, and if I have anything negative to say about the most recent show, it was that it didn't quite catch the peak of the 2018 appearance. Not Low's fault.

It's got to be tough to be a band in their spot. They've gotten a huge amount of deservedly fawning press over the last few years, and yet it they seem to have maxed out on venue size. I think Webster Hall is capacity around 1,500, but you'd think a band that well known could pull more. I don't get it. I recall reading something with them a few years back where one member sort of laid out a scenario where they have to put out an album and tour every few years just to be able to keep going. And for Low, this has been their whole life, they're middle aged now and probably don't have something to fall back on, so they've got to keep on the treadmill. I'd love to be successful but hitting the van at this age, and I'm right around their age, that would be tough.