The Low Anthem, ACL Moody Theatre, Austin, 15 March 2012, SXSW 2012

'We're called Bruce Springsteen,' the singer quipped as Low Anthem came on stage. It must have seemed an odd show for them, much more a support slot than a usual festival show, given that everyone in the venue had come to see Springsteen. They thanked him before the penultimate song and said what a privilege it was to play before him.

They played a strong set, though, and it was great to hear their delicate vocals on the early songs on such a great sound system. After a couple of quiet songs, the band cranked it up. The mix wasn't quite as kind to the early part of the loud section, though it did get better. They were more country than I'd remembered. The woman singer did a good line in Joplin vocals.

'Oh My God, Charlie Darwin' was really intimate and beautiful. The last song was written by one of the original members of the band. He left it on the table when he quit the band. For that song, the band asked the audience members to call whoever they came with, as did they did at the Paste party last year. It wasn't clear if that would work if everyone had come on their own single ballot tickets. It did work, though there were isolated pockets of sound, rather than the audience being filled with chirruping phones. It created a really magical moment though and everyone was silent as they finished and the sound rang out through the audience.

Other SXSW 2012 reviews:

Joe 'King' Carrasco, Skinny's Ballroom
Alberta Cross, Paste party, Stage at Sixth, 16 March 2012, SXSW 2012
The Dunwells, Latitude, Austin, 17 March 2012, SXSW 2012
Alberta Cross, Bar 96, Austin, 15 March 2012, SXSW 2012
The Low Anthem, ACL Moody Theatre, Austin, 15 March 2012, SXSW 2012