It was less than a year ago that the twenty-six year old Courtney Barnett first arrived in the United States to see her name up on the marquee at the Sinclair in Cambridge. She played a short set of songs off her first two E.P.’s; one in particular “Avant Gardener,” helped create such a buzz that she would go on to sell out most of her first tour across the U.S. and Europe. Eleven months later she returned with her first proper release, Sometimes I Sit and Think and Sometimes I Just Sit, with the same kind of buzz that sold out the venue last June. It makes sense that this time ticket prices are a little higher and more difficult to obtain because the demand to see Barnett live keeps growing after the breakout year she’s had. In that short time she’s also been able to reach all kinds of audiences, young and old, rock, folk, and punk enthusiasts have all by now caught wind of Barnett’s genuine and honest lyrics and musicianship so much that they all can’t help but fall in love with her.
On stage Monday, she still seems somewhat surprised by her success. After starting the show off with “Canned Tomatoes” a steady rocker off of The Split E.P. she began her banter in between songs by saying she could only see the first couple feet of people in the audience, “from there is just black.” She still comes off as shy, apprehensive, but delivers it all with her trademark wit that has been a big part of making her songs so likeable and enduring. Dissecting her whimsical lyrics song by song helps keep “Avant Gardener,” and “History Eraser” still seem fresh over a year later. There’s always a new line you’re able to pick up on; a new picture and perspective to be seen.
Her set on this night was a bit longer than her debut. She was more open to banter and also simply had more songs to choose from and play. In addition, she’s clearly become an overall better musician after a year of heavy touring. The band was louder, tighter, and Barnett’s guitar skills prove that she’s been playing a lot longer than just the last whirlwind of a year. Even after blowing an amp early in her set, she was easily able to shake it off and keep delivering distorted power chords with perfect amounts of moaning feedback along with a level of fearlessness we didn’t quite see a year ago.
Her physical presence on the stage is eerily similar to Neil Young and Kurt Cobain, but her songs structures are more rooted in mid-nineties rock than they are grunge and punk of those eras (and she’s a lefty). There’s also tons of influence from bands like The Breeders of whose “Cannonball” they covered. Along with tastes of R.E.M., Dandy Warhols, and even Silverchair of whom Barnett referenced during one of her many exchanges with the audience. She also admitted to covering Toto with a band she played with in high school. Through all of this you start to realize how in tune she is with her influences and how shameless she is about them. They’re the structures of her songs, elevated by her unique brand of songwriting, that’s it. No gimmicks.
Her band, whose namesake is the CB3 as coined by her drummers kit, is a simple three piece filled out by Dave Mudie on drums, and Bones Sloane on bass. They’re both talented players in their own right, Mudie giving a commanding back beat, and Sloane with shuddering basslines, but it’s their ability to be right in tune with Barnett’s influences and vision that make them the reliable players she seems to trust and enjoy. And that trust has built a chemistry that not only made the band tighter than last June, but allowed Barnett to cut loose and shred a bit harder, and sing a bit more confidently.
“Elevator Operator,” almost had a B52’s feel to it. “An Illustration of Lonliness / Sleepless in New York” showed off her ability to riff heavy over her choruses, and “Small Poppies” was an early highlight with Barnett shredding with her back turned to the audience playing only to her amp that, as mentioned before, would be blown out by the end of the song. “Depreston” was perhaps one of the weaker songs of the night and a confusing choice as the single to follow up “Pedestrian at Best.” The middle of her set did wane a bit, and “Avant Gardener” did tire a little over the course of the past year. It was missing the signature dive-bomb kamikazee guitar solo and instead filled with some more progressive jamming. “Kim’s Caravan” highlighted the second part of her set with a brooding echoing chorus of “take what you want from me,” before a heavy thrash out reminiscent of Young’s “Down by the River.”
The first song of her encore, the Lemonhead’s “Being Around” was sincerely demanded. The second and third, “Pickles from a Jar,” and “History Eraser” not so much, but were still met with some of the loudest applause of the night. Of course, Barnett’s brutal honesty recognized that a three song encore can be a little insincere and thanked the crowd for entertaining them.
Overall, watching Barnett twice in the past year and being equally excited to see her and her band both times proves to me that she’s an artist I’ll be interested in for quite some time. She closed the show like a punk rock icon sprawling out on the floor screaming and seemingly losing control to a point where she might toss her guitar into the air and smash it, but instead banging it on the stage leaving the crowd with thundering tremelo feedback. My guess is that it won’t be long before Barnett reaches the level of stardom where she can carelessly, maybe smash a guitar every now and then to officially cap off a outstanding performance like Monday’s was at the Sinclair
Setlist via Setlist FM
Canned Tomatoes (Whole)
Elevator Operator
Lance Jr
An Illustration of Loneliness (Sleepless in New York)
Small Poppies
Dead Fox
Depreston
Debbie Downer
Nobody Really Cares If You Don’t Go to the Party
Avant Gardener
Kim’s Caravan
Cannonball (The Breeders cover)
Pedestrian at Best
E:Being Around (The Lemonheads cover)
Pickles From The Jar
History Eraser