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LOW CUT CONNIE SETLIST
LOW CUT CONNIE TOUR DATES
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It won’t re-occur for another four hundred years--
The date of 2-22-22, is a five-digit numerical succession palindrome (on a Tuesday no less) that won’t happen again until the 23rd century, so it must have been some kind of magical convergence that brought Low Cut Connie to Kansas for their first show in the state, playing the Bottleneck in Lawrence.
The evening began with a thirty-five-minute set from Kansas City-based The Black Mariah Theater, a duo comprised of twin sisters Analiese and Sophia Motta, who describes their sound as “sparkly witch-rock”, in support of last year’s Patron Saint release. The pair also released a four-song Acoustic Covers EP last year, which included their version of an early Low Cut Connie song, which also may explain their connection to being on the bill.
In addition to songs from their records, the sisters also worked in a new number, “Mean to Be Mean” and a cover of a 1940’s blues classic, “Come Rain or Come Shine”, before ending their set with the very-witchy “Spare Me Your Curse”.
Next up was a Twin Cities favorite, Minneapolis band Kiss the Tiger, who had their third studio release, Vicious Kid, come out last June and is on their first brief tour outside of the Upper Midwest. The band began in late 2016 and has been gradually gaining more attention ever since, named a “Picked to Click” band by former alt-weekly City Pages in 2019.
The group’s sound evokes late ‘70s/early ‘80s AM radio rock with a modern edge, musically sounding like vintage Stones/Heartbreakers (expertly by guitarist Alex Sandberg) with lead vocalist Meghan Kreidler taking her magnetic stage presence and vocal stylings from the likes of Patti Smith, early Linda Ronstadt, and on the trippy “Out of My Mind”, an Airplane-era Grace Slick.
Their first three songs hit the audience in rapid sequence, with Kriedler then joking “we brought the cold in today” from their hometown, as the previous day’s local weather was sixty degrees warmer. The set-closing “Elliot Park” (named after the downtown Mpls. neighborhood) allowed the rest of the band to stretch out with short solos and extended jamming.
Not to name-drop, but Elton John and Bruce Springsteen are fans. So is Barack Obama, who added them to his official playlist and extended a White House invitation. So, it’s only expected that on their first trip to play in Kansas, Philadelphia’s Low Cut Connie would convert numerous to their brand of bar boogie rock n’ roll.
They’ve been on our own radar since 2016, and we’ve been lucky enough to see them several times most recently bringing the house down at First Avenue in 2018. The newest album is the spanning Private Lives (on the band’s own Contender Records), a double album of seventeen songs that lyrically delves deeper into profiles of people bandleader Adam Weiner knows or has known, warts and all.
Inclusively blending gospel, soul, country, and blues into their own uplifting style, their ninety-minute headlining performance took the audience on a stomping musical journey like no other, with Weiner and current band (Will Donnell-guitar; Linwood Regensburg- bass; Attis Clopton- drums; Jarae Lewis- percussion; and Little Queens- Abigail Dempsey- guitar, tambourine, violin and Rocky Blue Jean Queen- backup vocals) firing from all cylinders almost immediately. Breakout single, “Boozophilia” was played early in the set, smoothly segueing into the T-Rex-esque groove of “Dirty Water”.
“Charyse”, about a woman’s rough times in a big city, was one of those recent character sketch songs framed in a Springsteen-style arrangement, then Weiner seemed to surprise even himself by picking up a guitar for the bluesy “If I Die”, not having played one live for several years. “I feel so vulnerable” he joked following.
Dempsey proved her musical dexterity on “Now You Know” playing violin as Weiner was channeling Jerry Lee Lewis / Little Richard with his keyboard fingers and gymnastic posing skills, and the profane “The F**kin…” moved into (what else, but) a Prince cover, before reprising back to end the song. “I love you, Kansas!” Weiner exclaimed, following the musical workout.
Weiner intro’d the band at the set’s midpoint, before sending them off-stage, “I need some alone time” he remarked before a short solo mini set on piano. “Dreams Don’t Come True” (from the somewhat unknown Call Me Sylvia album) was dedicated to the evening’s openers as they had covered the song themselves, and a Toots and the Maytals classic became a tribute for all musicians lost during this Covid period.
The band soon returned for the back half of the set, as the energy level again rose with one of their most melodic tracks, “Beverly”, a rousing Alex Chilton song that is a staple of their live sets, and even pulled out a 1979 Misfits cover of “Where Eagles Dare”, one of over 650 songs Weiner played on Tough Cookies, he and Donnelly’s bi-weekly livestream series.
No false leaving the stage and coming back for an encore, the momentum continued straight through, and the set would end with the title track from Private Lives, and Weiner singing, “We’ve got love to give, that’s the way we live”, which perfectly summed up the band and the exhilarating musical experience.
“Believe in the dream or not” Weiner sings on “Beverly” and in terms of the live power of Low Cut Connie, the audience that took the effort to step out on a single-degree weeknight amidst an ongoing city mask mandate, were either already converted or became new members to this church of rock n’ roll. A memorable harmonic convergence for the ages.
(click on any image to enlarge and see in full)
Kiss the Tiger |
Black Mariah Theater |
Black Mariah Theater |
Kiss the Tiger Setlist |
Low Cut Connie |
Low Cut Connie |
Low Cut Connie |
Low Cut Connie |
Low Cut Connie |
Low Cut Connie |
Low Cut Connie |
Low Cut Connie at The Bottleneck, Lawrence KS (22 Feb 2022) |
| john ([email protected]) ♥ weheartmusic.com ♥ twitter.com |
Smash!! Going to recommend it to everyone!! Incredible service and great staff support and gracefulness! You all should try them atleast once! Recommended to everyone! Anticipated Games Of The Year
Posted by: otaquanii12 | 04/16/2023 at 03:13 AM