Suoni Per Il Popolo – Low at Sala Rossa

Low @ La Sala Rossa
Monday, June 16^th 2014

Low is “Nothing But Heart”; this being all too evident after experiencing the band’s live show. Opening with the aforementioned track from their 2011 album C’mon, the three-piece took to the stage as a deafeningly silent audience waited.

Low consists of vocalist and guitarist Alan Sparhawk, vocalist and drummer Mimi Parker, as well as bassist and keyboardist Steve Garrington. All three dressed fully in black, a choice that reflected the clean and crisp aesthetic of their minimalist style. Their visual display complemented their outfits. Patterns of light surged and swelled over them like multi-coloured waves breaching the shore. Their performance was romantic; the band indulged in their signature vocal harmonies between Sparhawk and Park to woo the crowd. Sparhawks’ brooding croon bled superbly into Parkers placid melodies. Particularly notable was the track “On my Own” from Low’s most recent album The Invisible Way. Sparhawk buzzed around his microphone, eerily dancing as if trapped in an invisible, bliss-filled bubble. Parker beat her drums with a single mallet, adding to the suppressed power that creates intensity in their songs without overpowering their vocals.

The crowd was concentrated and connected to the band, falling completely silent between songs. The tracks “Monkey” and “Murderer” were definite crowd pleasers, the audience growing energetic with glee as Low cavorted in front of them. Low played one new track about a superhero princess who is unsure about saving the world. This track was playful in comparison to the rest of the set, and served as welcome moment of lightness.

The band finished with an unexpected cover of Rihanna’s “Stay“.  This thrilled the crowd to no end, many singing along with cheshire cat smiles, swaying in time to such a sickly sweet display of appropriated popular culture.

Parker thanked the crowd several times, seeming almost as thankful for their acceptance as the crowd was for their performance.