An Evening With Pickups and Horses

I saw Silversun Pickups Friday night at a small venue in Gainesville called...The Venue. They put on an amazing show. There is something intimate about club shows--I last saw these guys at Lollapalooza, and as crazy as that performance was, this one destroyed it. I suppose "destruction" and "intimate" aren't exactly similar terms, but close quarters make for a certain type of familiarity.

I was probably eight feet from the band, and at one point was an arm's length away from Brian Aubert, singer/guitarist extraordinaire.

Speaking of Brian Aubert...the guy is a great frontman. Near the show's end he climbed onto the amps, walked his way over the stage and onto the adjacent bar/drink stand (all the while thrashing his guitar, mind you), ordered a shot of whiskey, took the shot, walked back over, and continued the show as if nothing had happened. The crowd was going nuts. Such a great moment.

So, if ever given the chance...go see this band.

Now, on to other music. The opening act was this great two-piece called An Horse. Kate Cooper sang and played guitar and Damon Cox pummeled the drums. Think the inverse of the White Stripes (and go ahead and switch the competence on their respective instruments, as well). I was floored by this Australian duo. From the opening guitar chords and through to the last note, I was captivated. Earnest vocals, catchy riffs, clever lyrics...recipe for a great show.

Here is a youtube clip of one of their songs, titled "Postcards." Their album is called "Rearrange Beds." It has a creepy album cover, but don't let that sway you. (Note: The album shown in the youtube clip is actually their debut EP, so don't confuse the two.)

Enjoy!