Bishop Allen hasn’t played Austin in years. His show last week at Holy Mountain was a must see for me, as I’ve been a fan from the earliest days. I was eager to see if the set would be culled primarily from newer material or from across the band’s repertoire. Frontman Justin Rice opened the night with the single from Bishop Allen’s newest effort, Lights Out, and the crowd immediately began dancing. However, the band quickly moved on from new songs, and gave the crowd selections from their discography, including a cut from their first album Charm School. The set also included crowd pleasers such at “Rain” and “Middle Management,” to which fans displayed enthusiastic physical responses.
Beyond providing a well-chosen variety of songs, I was duly impressed with Rice and co.’s onstage energy and live sound. Hopping on one-foot across the stage, Rice’s antics resemble the the dance moves of early rock-n-roll icons and lend a clue to the band’s core values of creating upbeat, enjoyable pop tunes. The pristine polish I lamented to some degree on the band’s newest Lights Out fell away in the live setting, and the group’s grittier guitar tones and rough edges shone through. This live incarnation of Bishop Allen showcased all the things I’ve always loved about the band, proving that while they’ve moved in a less lo-fi direction on recent recordings, they’ve still got the ability to cut loose and rock out.
JBM opened the night with a set of somber and restrained folk music. The moniker are the initials of songwriter Jesse Merchant; you can check out his latest collection of folk songs on his efforts via his label Partisan Records.
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