Youd be hard-pressed to find a better touring duo this fall than the Local Natives and the Love Language. It was such a hotly anticipated show that we almost talked Oz into making a last minute flight from Atlanta. It didnt work out, so Shirk, SafariMan, and I made our way up to the Metro early to get a good spot on the floor just in time to catch a set from openers Union Line.
To say I was excited would be an understatement. I was in near-delirium mode, talking to SafariMan for at least 10 minutes before the show about Sixpence None the Richer, breaking the world record for the longest conversation about that band ever. Union Line played a real nice set – I’d expect that we’ll be hearing good things out of them in the future. I talked to them after the show and told them I was from a music blog called HearYa, which obviously they had never heard of (shocking, I know). I thought maybe I should be more specific, “dot com?” Nothing. Ahhh, the fruits of blogging. Nice guys, though.
After Union Line came the Love Language, and they did not disappoint. Stu McLamb, the force behind the band, walked on stage and said, “F*@ck sound checks” before getting right down to business and ripping through an energetic no-frills set, playing a nice mix off their first album as well as this years excellent release, Libraries. “Brittanys Back” was definitely a highlight of the set, with a little more grit and energy behind the opening riff. Other standouts were “Horophones”, “Providence” (always my favorite), “Graycourt” and the crowd-pleaser “Lalita”. About 4 songs into the set there was a palpable buzz in the room, and I could hear people around me asking, “Who are these guys again?” It was great to see them win over the crowd. Stus voice just seems to be getting better and better, his brother Jordans drumming has come a long way since making the permanent move behind the kit about a year ago, and the band works really well together on stage. Cant say enough good things about this band. Oh, and I topped off the night with an awkward conversation with Missy from the band that ended with me slowly backing away and mumbling. I’m awesome at that.
After the Love Language finished up, I certainly could have gone home happy. But the capacity crowd had primarily come for the Local Natives, and I was excited to see them for the first time since SXSW. They played a great set and the crowd was REALLY into it. There was an 8 foot tall hipster next to me that was literally screaming every lyric at the top of his lungs. I think he was on PCP. The Local Natives are a great band to see live, because you really get a feel for how talented each band member is. Kelcey Ayer and Ryan Hahn are both multi-instrumentalists, and Kelcey is especially fun to watch sing, play keys, guitar, and percussion. The guy is amazing , if you need more convincing watch him play both keys and percussion while also handling lead vocal duties on “Airplanes”.
Enjoy some samples below and be sure to check out our live session from a couple years ago with The Love Language.
The Love Language , Heart To Tell
Love Language , Providence (from the HearYa Live Session)
The Union Line – Goldmine (from the lovely site Wake Up and Smell the Music)
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