Editor's Note: Ron's photos from the show did not come out, and we were not able to secure photos from other photographers prior to our deadline. So, as a compromise, we've made these very-obviously-fake Low live images. Enjoy.

One of the perks about being in the music biz, or at least as close to it as Splendid gets me, is getting to go to shows for free. Unfortunately, sometimes the night of a show arrives and I'm so exhausted from the day job that I just don't feel like going to a club and standing in clouds of cigarette smoke for three hours. This was one of those nights. However, despite my headache and the rain, I still managed to make my way to John Henry's, a decent venue that doesn't rip you off too bad for a quality pint. The sound system at Henry's is reasonable, and the nice high ceilings eliminate a lot of echoing. But what I especially like about Henry's is that it actually has a good old fashioned curtain in front of its stage. Who knows what wonders might be revealed?

On this night, the curtains first parted to reveal the Danielson Famile. Dressed in hospital scrubs, the five members present dealt out an hour of their oddball folk. While their Christian bent often gets them labeled as "gospel", the band's sound comes far closer to the Pixies than anything else. This comparison is inevitable given Daniel Smith, the band's acoustic guitarist and primary vocalist; yipping and yowling his way through the convoluted song structures, Smith's falsetto invokes Pixies classics such as "No. 13 Baby". Filled with abrupt and complicated rhythms, the Famile's music contains elements of Rush with John Denver. This is a lot cooler than it sounds. The surreal lyrics also brought Ween to mind (the two bands share producers). Supporting Smith were members on keyboards and xylophone, as well as a pair of drummers. The Danielson Famile worked hard to create a campfire mood, calling on the audience to sing along and clap with them. Unfortunately, the audience was having none of this. The most reaction they got was from the dumbass behind me, who continually shouted that he was having "a mind-blowing experience". This was unfortunate, because this was one of the more innovative sets I've seen in a while. Balancing performance art with plain performance, the Danielson Famile lived up to the rave reviews I had read about them and went a long way to relieving my bad mood.

A fresh pint in hand, I returned to my place as the curtain opened on Low. If you know anything about this Minnesotan trio, it is most likely that their tempo is legendarily slow. Our own dear editor has even described their most recent release as "glacial". While the band does play its music with precise economy, their live sound dispels all notions of frigidity. Opening with the full weight of one of their slower songs ("John Prine", perhaps, or a new tune), the band's sound rolled from the stage in majestic waves. From this they shifted to the sweeter sounds of "Sunflower", and my jaw dropped ever closer to the floor. The perfectly calculated notes and phrases were a wonder to behold. And when drummer Mimi Parker sang the tender "Laser Beam", it was one of the sweetest live moments I've ever seen. In interviews, Low has long claimed bands like the Swans as influences. This can be difficult to discern from their recorded work, but when the trio let loose their latest single, "Dinosaur Act", the connection was clear as day. This song's expansive chorus, filled with madly reverbed guitar, exemplified the Tantric drone that made the Swans legendary.

The set's peak, however, was its closing number, "Closer". Dedicated to the recently lost Joey Ramone, this song was so sweet and sad that it actually brought tears to my eyes.

If you haven't seen Low live, you owe it to yourself to see this marvelous band perform. Their live renditions destroy all of their recorded music. This was such a wonderful set that it banished my bad mood entirely. When I stepped back out into the rainy night, it was with a broad smile on my face.

Article by Ron Davies. Photos by Photoshop.