Okay, maybe that’s an exaggeration — the hurricane bit, not the fact that Tamara Lindeman (aka The Weather Station) performed a stunning set of songs at The Parish on Tuesday night. The hurricane was really just a tropical storm, Bill, which ended up barely grazing Austin, meaning expected flash flooding fizzled into a few scattered raindrops. C’mon guys, you didn’t think The Weather Station had control of this situation?
The threat of severe weather and the Tuesday night performance made for one of the most tragically under attended shows in recent memory. Two Canadian bands, The Weather Station and headliners Great Lake Swimmers, both a long way from home, treated the modest but devoted Austin crowd to a beautiful display of songwriting. After listening to The Weather Station’s recent album Loyalty all week, I had fallen in love with her straightforward and well written folk songs. Visceral scenes are rendered in breathtaking clarity, set to a soundtrack of nuanced, irregular guitar patterns. As I wrote in advance of the show, Lindeman’s unaffected style creates timeless songs–some of the best in independent folk music today.
Onstage, she cracked jokes without stress, thanking the crowd for braving the “tornado-hurricane-flood-storm.” Delivering her songs alone, without a backing band, Lindeman’s poise and presence must be mentioned, as she moved comfortably through the setlist. After I bought a copy of her new album, I stood near the merch table studying it. Even the album’s front and back covers evoke a sense of timeless art. A woman faces away from us on the cover. She could be anyone, and indeed, Lindeman’s songs carry on in the tradition of many before her, even as they stand worthy in their own right. On the back of the album, each song’s lyrics are printed in full, recalling 60s folk record sleeves, the strength of Lindeman’s writing on display before ever hearing the music. From the liner notes to the individual notes of each song, Lindeman is creating music that will transfix you. Listen.
All photographs © Bryan C. Parker & Pop Press International; all rights reserved. Click any image to open in slideshow viewer.
