The Handsome Family

Before tonight's gig by the Handsome Family, I checked to see when they first appeared on my musical radar and discovered that it was back in 1998 when their song 'Weightless Again' bowled me over and made an instant convert of me. I've loved them ever since.

Brett and Rennie Sparks are a long-term couple, resident in Albuquerque, New Mexico, steeped in American folklore and possessing a distinctly quirky sense of humour. Rennie writes lyrics about animals, the macabre, the unexpected and unexplained and Brett sets them to terrific folk/country/blues tunes guaranteed to get your toes tapping.

I think this was the 6th time I've seen them play live and their Gothic Americana and bickering stage personas can always hold me spellbound.

Rennie (eyeing Brett suspiciously): Did you have that beard yesterday?
Brett (phlegmatically): The secret to a long and happy marriage - minimal eye contact.

Tonight's gig, at Leaf, was absolutely packed and I couldn't get as close to the front as I'd have wished. Indeed, I was hemmed in behind a particularly broad-backed rugby player (I'm merely speculating as to his sporting proclivities!) throughout and could only grab glimpses of the delightful Rennie (bass ukulele, bass, banjo, autoharp and vocals) but managed to see slightly more of the ever-grumpy Brett (vocals and deliciously deranged guitar) and excellent drummer, Jason Toth.

So, here's a shot of Brett during one of his excellent guitar wig-outs.

I can't remember the whole set but they definitely played:

So Much Wine
The Bottomless Hole
Far from Any Road
Up Falling Rock Hill
The Loneliness of Magnets
The Sad Milkman
My Sister’s Tiny Hands
Frogs
Weightless Again
The Dutch Boy
and an absolutely blistering encore of the apocalyptic When That Helicopter Comes