If I had to name my favorite performances at South by Southwest, Lovett would definitely be on the short list. I walked quite a ways off the beaten festival path to catch their set at Lovers Ball, and it was absolutely worth it. Somehow they squeezed ten musicians behind Ben Lovett's enigmatic visage, and the intimate atmosphere was perfect for all of the amazing sounds coming from the makeshift stage. The small room was adorned with splashes of pink and and millions of confetti hearts, and the audience packed themselves in as tightly as possible while still leaving enough room to dance. I'm not sure that I could even categorize their music definitively, other than to say it combined elements of indie rock, americana, pop, and a healthy dose of experimental. The musicianship of the group was top notch, and it was clear that it was a collective artistic effort rather than "just Ben Lovett's backing band". He definitely led the group and sang all of the lead vocals, but the horn section did double duty on all sorts of percussion and backing vocals and the guitarists rotated between guitars, basses, ukuleles; I think I even saw a mandolin at one point. Every band has a one-song litmus test, and Lovett's is definitely "heartattack". If you listen to the first song of his live performance (see video below) and enjoy the hell out of it like I did, then you will not just want more, but need more.
Be sure to check out his incredible steam punk-inspired video for "Eye of the Storm" below. It was done on a shoestring budget, but you certainly can't tell by the video alone. I can't seem to find any information on Lovett's upcoming tour dates, but there are a lot of teasers for upcoming performances on his Facebook page. If you're a fan, be sure to show your support online so that he knows he's got hungry audiences. His debut album Highway Collection was just released on iTunes and is available for purchase here. I was lucky enough to snag a copy at the show, and it's fantastic cover to cover. Love love Lovett.
Laurel was born in the great state of Texas but grew up in the slightly backwards state of Minnesota. As soon as she was old enough to hitchhike safely, she thumbed it back to good ol' Texas, enrolling in the University of North Texas. While there, her mind was blown by the incredibly rich and diverse musical landscape of Denton which prompted her to begin writing about her concert-going adventures. She now resides in LA, where her life's goal is to spread the good word about good music. That, and becoming best friends with Chelsea Handler (whichever comes first).
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