#lowgate

#lowgate. Usually when it rains at a festival, that's definitely something people talk about. I haven't heard too many people complain about the weather at an outdoor festival in Minnesota ( and I've heard TONS of people complaining about said rain EVERY OTHER DAY. ) So that means there's much more to talk about, isn't there? 

27 minutes. one song. an old song. a slow-burner. 

Here's my take on all of it:

There is not shoulder-patting for doing it, there is no prodding for answers as to why, there is no art-is-art-is-art argument, there is no shaking a finger at it. 

Low plays slow-burning music. That's sort of their deal. They dial in lo-fi. They revel in it. They constantly evolve in it. They ARE a rock band at times, but to think their set would convey the rock tempos & feels of Mould & Metric is throwing away everything you know about the band. 

And you should throw everything you know about them away. Because I've seen them many times, and they show up and they play their music. They aren't much for covers. They are about devastating ebbs & flows, builds that churn everything in the song, which is usually a couple of chords that they'll engrain in your head in 3 minutes, or 5 minutes, or 14 minutes, or 27 minutes. 

Weather did factor into their set. They had to make up time to make sure Mould & Metric were getting their sets in before that elusive Minneapolis outdoors curfew ( also - the babysitter's double-time mark for some in attendance. ) 

Did I listen to it? Yes. Did I like it? Yes. I also enjoyed the new RGC record too though, so it's sort of in my wheelhouse. 

I don't buy the "artists do artsy things" motif that's been going around. 

If you went to Rock the Garden and were pissed about the set, that's fine. But to bring up your ticket price is void to me. You were 1 of 7,000 people that was going to be at that concert if GB Leighton was announced as a surprise headliner. And I would have been alright with you doing your "bah, humbug" cantor if that happened. But it didn't. 

A band, 2 of 4, played a shorter set with a longer song. The longest song you've probably heard performed live. ( Unless you were at Pennington Music Festival. ) I hope it does draw more people into finally seeing the different sides of Low (  and even Al's other projects, Retribution Gospel Choir & the Black Eyed Snakes, hell, even his solo guitar record which can be found on Spotify is a frequent listen for me. ) 

Keep the conversation going, be wary of pedestals built by the status quo, but also be wary of the pedestals built by drones.

They both look silly at sea level.