The 930 Listening Room in Louisville, KY was a very different venue from anything we've been to before. It's actually located in an art gallery that is in the same building as a church. A pretty nice little place, even though we had to go through quite an iffy area of Lousville to get there. The room that the show was in had a stage area that was raised about 3 steps from the floor, and nice rows of padded seating.
Larkin Poe opened for the co-headliners Jones and Herzig. We've seen Larkin Poe a few times, opening for Brandi Carlile, and on the Cayamo cruise earlier this year, which I imagine is where they met Katie Herzig. They are a couple of sisters, Megan playing the Dobro and Rebecca switching between acoustic guitar and mandolin, and an upright bass player (of no relation). Their sound is a mix of bluegrass and country, and they have a really good stage presence. The lead singer and acoustic/mandolin player, Rebecca, does most of the storytelling between songs, and does a great job of pulling the audience in. This show was their last of a series opening for Katie.
Highlights from Larkin Poe's Set:
Up next was Matthew Perryman Jones - who, for the record, sounds uncannily similar to Griffin House. It was just Jones and his drummer up on stage for most of the set, except when he invited Katie up to sing a song with him. Jones has a great sound, typical singer/songwriter deep lyrics, with a twinge of melancholy in most of his songs. He and Herzig are both part of Ten out of Tenn, a singer/songwriter group based in Nashville who each create their own music, and also support each other. When they tour together, they benefit from each other's collaboration onstage, and expanding their fan base by drawing in the other's fans to shows and exposing them to the rest of the group. Truely a great idea in an industry where it seems to be increasingly difficult to distinguish yourself from the crowd and get your name out there.
Highlights from Matthew Perryman Jones' set:
Katie Herzig's turn - we've seen her quite a few times - opening for Brandi Carlile, and also on Cayamo. Her songs seem to be little enigmas - light and airy sounding, sometimes even with children's songs entertwined into thm, but with deep meanings and connotations. "The Katie Herzig Trio" consists of cello player Claire Indie, and th multi-talented Jordan Hamlin, who plays accordian, guitar, clarinet, and who knows what else! Katie played the longest set of the night, and probably one of the longest sets of anyone we've ever seen. There was even a point where she asked the audience if they came to hear any specific songs, and then mentioned that she has a playlist which is more of a suggestion list.
Highlights from Katie's Set:
It was a really great show, and aside from a stinky person sitting near us, the crowd was one of the best we've encountered to date. Everyone was very respectful of each of the artists, and seemed to really enjoy the music.
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