Eleven o’clock is quite late for me…do not judge or try to guess my age. However, having sampled “One In Seven” and shortly thereafter discovering Birdlips was playing live that night, I shrugged off my week night regimen of bedtime by 10 and decided to head downtown.
Cliff Usher and Lindsay Pitts, the ethereal duo behind the name, are magnetic to watch. Equally striking in appearance and poise (Lindsay’s petite frame and overall glow led me to speculate she survives solely on a diet of kelp and good cheer) their sound goes beyond all that is indie and new. They’re a bit of Brazilian Girls blended with Mazzy Star which is further evidenced by a talent and knowledge of music that transcends their youth. At a venue free from Friday night filler they wove weightless vocals with haunting sounds courtesy of keyboard, ukulele, and guitar. Songs which quickly took root and warrant recommendation, “Higher Vision” and “Paper Palms”.
Among those dedicated fans who pushed through mid-week fatigue to attend was Aunt Crystal – 2 parts manager, 1 part roadie. At the start of the show she corralled peripheral bar patrons forward, later indulging me with tidbits about her nephew and his UVA classmate. Proud? Absolutely. Biased? Maybe, but with good reason. As someone before me said “these two are the real deal”.
- Krissi Lindsey, Twitter = @ohnomisskris, e-mail = krissi.lindsey@yahoo.com
