low
thursday, february 5, 2004 • chop suey, seattle wa
• review by janice • pics by mike


review: This was a really cool show, 'cause it was a benefit for Music For America, this cool non-profit organization that encourages people to get out and vote! With our Seattle caucuses (cauci?) the very next morning, it was invigorating to have all these enthusiastic volunteers buzzing about.

And as a non-smoker, I was happy to see a sign at the front door asking people not to smoke. Mike and I assumed this was for the benefit of Low's pregnant percussionist (congrats Alan and Mimi!), so we thought that was really nice of the club! Imagine our horror when we walked further into the club only to find some jerk-ass smoking! So uncool!

The Mines: These guys quickly became one of Mike's fave new local bands! They play super-catchy pop, switch off instruments and lead vocals, they do some great harmonies --- they remind me a lot of Pinback, as a matter of fact. Three outta four band members were wearing the exact same shirt...I guess the fourth guy didn't get the memo...

Saeta: Up next were another local band who stylistically, I think, fit much better with Low. They were a bare-bones trio of acoustic guitar, keyboards and cello. Their sound was very lovely and sparse. I felt their female vocalist had a beautiful voice, but I had a hard time wrapping my head around their male lead vocalist's voice. He has this babyface and was dressed like a waiter, yet he opened his mouth and sounded all gravelly like Tom Waits! Whazza?!?

Low: And then, my beloved Low took the stage! SIGH! Alan's forelock has gotten so long and curly. And with his cute cardigan on (was that Mimi's cardigan?!), he looked about eighteen years old! Too cute! And Mimi, as always, looked gorgeous. She was wearing a cute black 3/4-length-sleeved maternity top. I wonder if her hair gets even more thick and lush when she's pregnant? And Zak always looks great with his smoldering Hollywood good looks, and he had the coolest watch on! (Hey! Sorry, but I notice these kinds of things!!!)

Alan also had pinned a picture of someone on his sweater that night, and he kept trying to draw attention to it. When he first walked out on stage, he was smoothing it out with his hands, and then at the end of the night, as he walked off stage, he sorta grabbed his sweater and held it up to the audience. But no one seems to know who this mysterious fellow in the picture is! [update 04/04: we now know who it is, thanks to Jimmy in Brooklyn, NY! The man pictured is actor Scott Reiniger in his role as "Roger DeMarco" in the 1978 movie "Dawn of the Dead"! Well, whaddayaknow! Thanks Jimmy!!! :)]

The band is working on a new album and used this show to work-out some new songs. Thanks to some super-nice Low mailing list members, I got a bootleg of a show they did in December that featured many of these new tracks and I'm already in love with them. And getting to hear "Murderer" live was so spine-tingling! One of the new songs (we think it's called "Everybody's Song") is another rocker in the vein of "Canada". Another new track (that starts off with "When I Go Deaf") is lovely and folksy, but dagnabbit, when Alan sings "When I go deaf.../I'll stop writing songs..." and it worries me! Someone make sure that man has some earplugs!!!

Alan and Zak were so funny the last time they came to the Northwest; Mike and I were kinda looking forward to some more laughs. But instead, they seemed pretty solemn. Although, at one point, Alan sort-of rambled on about existentialism and voting and...well, he kinda lost me after a while, so I'm not sure what else he brought up. But Mimi sat down as he rattled on, and then when it seemed like he was done, she stood back up and grabbed her brushes. And when Alan suddenly picked back up and continued his rant, Mimi made the most exasperated face and rolled her eyes dramatically, making most people by the stage who caught it laugh out loud! Unintentionally funny! :)

Low closed the night of gorgeous music by bringing Saeta back out. They joined Low on The Smiths' cover "Last Night I Dreamt That Somebody Loved Me", and on "Lordy". Such an exquisite show!

related links


• check out more awesome pics of the show at photophonic.com!