Low: Classic or classic?

I think they're alright, I think their obvious dedication to their sound and art is fairly admirable, but the resulting records don't move me (the Christmas one is quite nice).

In some of the praise of them there's an undertow of virtues-of- simplicity stuff, and I can see why - when I listen to Low the word that often comes to mind is 'quaint'. You feel a little better for owning a Low record, I suppose, like a piece of handmade furniture or something. They're not classic.

ha I never said on this thread that 'the curtain hits the cast' is one of my few most favorite albums ever.

i watched that low documentary on cable last nite. maaaaaaaan, was that boring. not even two members of napalm death could pep things up. HOW IRONIC LOW DUDE THEY ARE IN NAPALM DEATH AND YOU ARE IN LOW AND YOU ARE IN THE SAME BUILDING WHAT ARE THE ODDS. on the other hand, it made me want to listen to low records. i do like low. and watching low live from my couch is, if you ask me, the best friggin' place on earth to watch low live.

hahah, interesting post. a boring documentary that made you wanna listen to the records. i can see that. good documentary i guess, rather slow, i own it but have only watched it once, so far.

the live footage is indeed superb.

that's the Low In Europe thing, right? I've got that DVD too, should really watch it again too

they should have set up the most boring people alive premise even more than they did. they sould have called the doc: HOW LOW CAN YOU GO:THE DIRTY DULUTH 3 LAY WASTE TO EUROPE! with girls gone wild cover art.

Maybe the sequel will be even lower

Low & Lowerer, with new bass player Jim Carrey

ultimately characterless and forgettable

lol. Heard Drums and Guns?

it hadn't been released back then

i have "low in europe" and only got halfway through it. hmm. and as you all know, i adore them.

vvv tickled to see the original post -- it was alex who got me into low, some ... fucking hell, 12 years ago now. christ.

which album do I listen to right now if I've never heard any of them before? quick!

I think The Great Destroyer is very accessible, so that may be a good entry point. But I guess Things We Lost In The Fire might be a more representative disc.

A handful of songs on the new disc (called Drums and Guns) are also an excellent introduction to the band. Try, for example, this killer (no pun intended) version of Murderer, from a live, in-studio performance last year.

Things We Lost in the Fire is a great introduction. I'd also recommend Secret Name, which was my intro, also very good.

Things We Lost in the Fire, definitely. Worked for me at least, from the first chord change.

Anyone see that film about Low that's now showing on Pitchfork.tv? It's called You Might Need A Murderer. I didn't know how troubled Alan Spearhawk was. Semi-boring film, but a totally compelling band.

Oh it's on Pitchfork.tv? Sweet, I saw it in the local record store today and passed on it ($20 brand new) but i'll totally watch it for free. One of my all time favorite bands, love these guys.

npr interview with the sparhawks a while ago that touched on his issues

Catch it now, Stephen. It's the "One Week Only" feature on Pitchfork.tv.

That NPR interview is fascinating. Sparhawk dances around his problems some, but this is the first time I've heard he was suicidal.

Thanks Daniel, I'll be sure to check it out Sunday morning when i get up :D

Retribution Gospel Choir (Alan's new, catchier, LOUD, rock band) played a sparsely attended show in Montreal on Friday that was fucking amazing. PLayed their hearts out for we seated folk, left my ears so happily ringing. Was sad to see him loading up the van alone in the street afterward (last time I saw Low it was at ATP with another 1000 people). If Retribution Gospel Choir come to chez toi, go go go. terrific.

Low have subtley crept, over the course of about ten years, into the position of being my favorite existing band.

"subtly"

Some good discussion on this thread, methinks.

Retribution Gospel Choir (Alan's new, catchier, LOUD, rock band) played a sparsely attended show in Montreal on Friday that was fucking amazing.

ARGH I was on the list for this but couldn't go, damn you, job.

I've seen them 7-8 times since 1997 and have observed as the venue/audience size has grown in tandem with the expanse of the band's dynamic (louder choruses, distortion pedals and such). The songs from their last few records are perfectly suited to the mid-size theatres they play these days. But my favorite gigs were one in the mid-to-late 90's, when they would come through the Ann Arbor/Detroit area quite regularly and play at little hole-in-the-wall spots: The (small) audience would generally sit on the floor and remain dead silent until the band finished playing (save for the occasional applause). There was a communal reverence, churchlike almost, unlike anything else I've experienced at rock gigs (even a "seated" Yo La Tengo show from their And Then Nothing.. tour, in which the band/venue provided the audience with folding chairs, didn't come close). It was a beautiful thing to be a part of, really.

I totally get that. I'm sure you'd agree, though, that they deserve all the additional attention -- and higher audience attendance at shows -- that they now get. I'm with you: Low has become one of my favorite, if not my absolute favorite, band of the moment.

I'll third that. Best band going today.

i saw RGC a few years back with Kozelek and they were alright but the drummer was really stiff; if it's the same guy I'm sure they've loosened up a bit. I'm assuming Kozelek isn't on this tour.

the best thing they played though was a crazy ass cover of "the carpet crawlers"

I'm sure you'd agree, though, that they deserve all the additional attention -- and higher audience attendance at shows

Yeah, it has actually been very rewarding to watch a humble little band like Low build and expand their aesthetic over the years, and at the same time gain popularity because of the sheer quality of their art. Even thought I have those fond memories of tiny quiet shows, I have no problem sharing Low with The World.

Strictly in terms of popularity, though, I know Low is bigger in Europe than The States, at least circa early-2000s. Was it that way in the mid-to-late 90's too? I'd been used to Low concerts being generally as described above. But then, in 2000, I moved to Dublin for college and twice saw Low in sold-out concerts at The Olympia, a fairly large theatre (fantastic shows both, one with cello!).

"thought" = though

stop all the clocks, quieten all the whisperings about low's republican tendencies:

low are playing an obama benefit somewhere.

they're also doing christmas shows in the uk, in november.

I've seen them twice with full crowds at the Chapel in SF. Capacity is 500. I was wondering if they were going to scale up to a larger venue but the tour lists same venue for their October show.

They played GAMH last time through for Double Negative -- very sad I had to miss that as I was still recovering from surgery that weekend. But this October show has Divide and Dissolve as the opener and that's a great combination.

D&D are opening here in Philly, too. I've known Takiaya for more than a decade. Very excited about that show

Oh wow, that's a bill. I just completely fell in love with that Divide & Dissolve album this week.

All their records are good, but the last one really did up the game

One of the last shows I saw before the pandemic, they played in local watering hole/show space Cousin Danny's, which is basically a bar in a basement with a performance space on the first floor of an enormous old Victorian in West Philly. It was massively loud, a really fun night hanging out with them and some other friends in this relatively tiny space. Excited that they're getting a lot of attention.

Saw them at Primavera in Barcelona in 2019 of all places and they were incredible. Already got tickets to see them in September here, and that's a long way out, but looking forward to it nonetheless.

sone of the previous posts are about D&D, right? And the last one is about Low again?

Yes sorry, my last post was about D&D

Low absolutely hit it out of the ballpark last night. Most of HEY WHAT in the first half of the show, then a stretch of older material, including Sunflower, Two-Step, and an encore of Will the Night then Murderer. I actually cried, it has been twenty years since I first saw them and they sounded phenomenal.

(D&D were great too)
(Stevie D was there and can attest to the greatness of the show, too)

I saw them Monday night at a small movie theater in DC and it was a beautiful show.

seeing them on thursday :D

How dare all of you. (He says, having to wait until October.)

Yep Knoxville show was wonderful

seeing them next Monday, stooooked

Saw them at the DC show. I'm a casual fan, recognized maybe half the songs. I loved the silence of the audience and the sit-down format, perfect for an oldster like me. I will confess the songs seemed a little samey about halfway through, but the older and closing material mixed it up a bit more. Amazing to see such a pro band, especially in the vocals dept, and to hear everything perfectly. The lights were a big plus.

I'll probably be at the same show Ned's at, as the October leg of the tour hits Norcal. But dang will there even be a functioning planet by then? Tune in...

Cross yer fingers!

seeing them in 4 weeks! mildly optimistic there will be a functioning planet by then.

Bowing out of seeing them tonorrow in Providence due to health issues--tickets I bought last June...

But, a friend who is just discovering them is able to use my tickets, and I'm almost as excited for her as I would've been for myself.

just about left my body during “hey”

encore included “congregation” and “monkey” therefore it was a very brad set

They kicked ass tonight and yes, glad they played the two songs Brad mentioned

#JusticeForTheGreatDestroyer

Seeing them tomorrow night, apparently the last show for this leg of the tour.

your Saturday night just opened up :(

Hey-O! We got it! COVID positive tests coming up in both bands. Shit.

We have to cancel Davenport tonight and Madison tomorrow.

Honestly, surprised the tour lasted this long.

Thank you for masking, y’all.

Wear a mask at shows!!! Please!

Back out in two weeks. 💜💜💜

— LOW (@lowtheband) April 8, 2022

Oh shit.

I was just looking at their twitter feed, talking about hanging out in Walgreen's getting COVID tests and complaining about people not wearing masks.

Honestly they wouldn't have been happy, no one was going to wear a mask at that show.

at the Toronto show, i was near the front and from what i could see, roughly 2/3 of those around me were masked and those who weren't clearly had a mask with them but was choosing not to put it around their nose/mouth (maybe because they were drinking but some were not and were just choosing to be stupid)

Saw them last night, amazing show blah blah. But one thing that struck me was, despite occasional similarity with MBV, sonics-wise, Kevin S uses a wall of Marshalls onstage whereas Alan S appeared to be playing through a single amp of the type you might use for a pub gig (this was a 2000 capacity venue). Like, it literally looked like a Fender Blues Jr from where I was. Of course it was mic-d up and coming through PA speakers but you get the point. On a related note, my partner's one 'feedback for improvement' comment was that it might have been even better at a more MBV-like volume.

Alan on Twitter is a lot of fun. He’s very open and geeks out over guitar tone and nerdy tech stuff. Fellow touring musicians send him pics of their gear loaded in the back of their cars and he reviews how it’s packed.

^ agreed, their twitter feed's a blast

I saw them at Manchester Cathedral the other night - what a venue! It was amazing but I had quite a miserable time as I had terrible sinusitus. I had a prime spot but was sneezing so much that I had to move to the catacombs as I think everyone around me was freaking out that I might be a Covid superspreader.

He's very dedicated to their Twitter, even liking my Tweet praising the gig. Last time they played he told me what a song was I had enquired about. I hadn't even tagged them in that so he must have been searching for mentions. I wish i could muster as much Twitter enthusiasm / dedication.

it might have been even better at a more MBV-like volume.

not sure what the volume was there but it was just right for me. i spent decades being in the if it's too loud you're too old camp but last time i saw MBV changed my mind. they were stupidly TOO loud.

Meh. I had the covids a couple of weeks ago and I'm still coughing too much to go to a show. Oh well.

last time i saw MBV changed my mind. they were stupidly TOO loud.

*sighs, prepares interdict and articles of excommunication* Well perhaps I overreact.

Pardon? You'll need to speak up........

Too loud sucks, unless it's too loud through sheer acoustic power

Hello from The Chapel,

We're writing to inform you that our show with Low on Tuesday, October 4, 2022 has been rescheduled to Friday, March 31, 2023.

All original tickets will be honored.

Well shit. I wonder what caused this postponement - the band just recovered from covid and is still touring yes?

About the reschedule of fall west US dates:
-We have accepted a very kind offer to do dates with @dcfc durring that time.
-it’s rescheduled later, most tickets still valid.
-Just couldn’t get Vancouver to fit the rerouting, sorry. (Not about Covid.)
-Still w/ @dividedissolve !

— LOW (@lowtheband) May 5, 2022

Derby County Footb... oh, death cab for cutie, nevermind

Audience recording from the Hackney show (missed the encore, sorry)

https://mega.nz/file/sWZC2CKS#1LitKm8O1IeNrhHFuHAfVQfAzbc0RnJ_RV_DljGqzkM

Setlist:

White Horses
I Can Wait
All Night
Disappearing
Hey
Days Like These
Don't Walk Away
More
The Price You Pay (It Must Be Wearing Off)
Congregation
No Comprende
Sunflower
Disarray
Plastic Cup
Monkey
What Part of Me
Especially Me
Nothing but Heart

Are they doing a 10 min guitar freak-out version of Nothing But Heart?

Not in Hackney, it was the same length as the album version, e.g. about eight or so minutes

holy shit that’s wild! Good for D/d

awww no songs from Double Negative? alas

Uhh look again, octo (though it's not one I would expect)

This array of songs does contain one of those tracks, indeed.

;)
Seems like they played the same set yesterday in Amsterdam. What a fucking amazing show. Divide and Dissolve were awesome, too

Ahhh missed that. Sweet! That was an amazing performance when they played it at Primavera in 2019. Very much looking forward to this show. Perhaps they drop one or two more Double Negative tracks in the encore.

Saw them for the first time. Great concert, great rendition of Hey and others, hearing the album live made me appreciate it anew.