Event An Horse
City Los Angeles
State California
Venue Echoplex
Date March 24, 2009
If there was ever any doubt in your mind that Tegan and Sara have excellent taste in music look no further than An Horse. The Australian duo of Kate Cooper and Damon Cox began its road to notoriety in support of the Canadian rock combo and have since garnered the goodwill of the music press and a fiercely devoted following, due in part to the sisters Quin (the liner notes on the band’s album even name Sara as its A&R rep). Nepotism aside, the band has proven itself worthy of the buzz on its formative debut and hotly anticipated live shows.
Having seen the band on the Letterman show a few weeks ago, I though I was prepared for the An Horse live experience. Color me shocked when Cooper and Cox burst onto the stage of the Echoplex after a mundane equipment setup with a brand new, unnamed track that was more grunge than emo rock.
Playing through nearly every song off the debut album, Rearrange Beds, there was little indication the band held back from its songbook. Key tracks from the album, “Postcards,” “Little Lungs” and “Horizons” really came to life on stage and it seems as though the pair hasn’t yet tired of playing the song that brought the band to the dance, “Camp Out.” That’s a good thing since the duo will likely be expected to play that song for some time to come. At times, Cooper and Cox even went so far as to tell stories from their recent stint at SXSW and being on the road with opener Wintersleep. Such extended banter might have seemed like filler and to a certain degree it was, but the duo had such great back and forth chemistry that I forgive them their sins.
Though An Horse lacked the finesse of a more road weary band, it more than made up for it with its blunt honesty and sincerity which sometimes bled through the songs and into the between music dialogue. I don’t think the band has yet fully acclimated themselves to the attention that it has received thus far. An awkward moment came midway through the set when Cooper shot down the affections of a few overzealous fans by thanking them for their love and adding, “You don’t know me but I appreciate the good vibes.” So do we, Kate. So do we.
Check out the full set of An Horse concert photos. – By JOE CORTEZ – Photos ©WARD ROBINSON (wardrobinsonphoto.com)
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