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Lord Huron |
Widowspeak |
Lord Huron |
Review and photos by Mary Andrews Lord Huron surpassed expectations and out performed their recent album "Strange Trails" during their live performance in Tucson. They are on the road this summer with a heavy-duty international tour that extends into November this year. The show's opener on this tour stop was Brooklyn's indie band Widowspeak.Widowspeak is touring to promote their highly anticipated upcoming third album release "All Yours" in September. The core members of the Brooklyn-based band are Molly Hamilton, vocals and guitars, and Robert Earl Thomas, lead guitar. Completing the band on this tour are Willy Muse on bass guitar and James Jano on drums. Molly Hamilton's breathy vocals are the crux of their signature sound. The vocals are reminiscent of Mazzy Star's Hope Sandoval and Cowboy Junkie's Margo Timmons. Widowspeak brings its own subtle differences to the table and creates something totally fresh. Overall, the mixture of Hamilton's driving vocals, Thomas' fret-board work, and their unadorned lyrics create an air of mystery and succeed in capturing a moment. Lord Huron was originally created to showcase Ben Schneider's songwriting and singing talents but it developed into much more over time. Schneider's band mates included Miguel Briseno on bass guitar and percussion, Mark Barry on drums, Tom Renaud on guitars and vocals, and Karl Kerfoot on guitar and vocals. One of the surprises of the night was Miguel Bresino playing Theremin on "Way Out There." All of the musicians hail from Michigan. The name Huron is most likely inspired by Lake Huron in Michigan. The songs and their music videos are products of Schneider's imagination and have no connection to reality. The music is a hodge-podge of different genres of music and culture. "Strange Trails" is the second full-length album for Lord Huron. They have reached beyond their first album to deliver maturity and a more creative force with the melodies. The concert showcased ten songs from the new release. Mr. Schneider's mournful, melancholic lyrics grab the listener's attention, but the band's rocking interpretation of the melodies kept the fans dancing. The concert interpretations of the songs on the album are much more 'present' and lively. The diversity in the material was fluid enough to propel the show through its 90-minute set. The lighting also added to the visual excitement in the show. Schneider was no stranger to Tucson and he reminisced about his previous visits here as they played smaller clubs, Solar Culture and Club Congress. Otherwise, there was not much banter, just music! This was an extraordinary show! Catch it when it comes to your area. |
Selists | |
Set list for Widowspeak: 1. In the Pines 2. Calico 3. Girls 4. Gun Shy 5. All Yours 6. Narrows 7. The Swamps 8. Harsh Realm 9. Ballad of the Golden Hour |
Set list for Lord Huron: 1. Love Like Ghosts 2. Until The Night Turns 3. Dead Man's Hand 4. Lonesome Dreams 5. Cursed 6. The Ghost on the Shore 7. She Lit a Fire 8. Hurricane 9. I Will Be Back One Day 10. Way out There 11. Meet Me in the Woods 12. The World Ender 13. Fool For Love 14. The Stranger 15. Setting Sun 16. Ends of the Earth Encore: 17. The Night We Met 18. Time to Run |
Lord Huron |
Widowspeak |
Lord Huron |
Lord Huron |
Widowspeak |
Lord Huron |
Widowspeak |
Lord Huron |
Lord Huron |