Even with a less-than-capacity turnout at Ann Arbor, MI’s revered Blind Pig, Land of Talk and the Rosebuds managed to make a warm Tuesday night (May 29) in a sleepy college town a memorable affair. After a lively set by local faves Mason Proper, Canada’s Land of Talk took the stage. Playing nearly all of their debut album, Applause Cheer Boo Hiss, the trio impressed the small but polite crowd with their brand of PJ-Harvey-meets-the-Cardigans rock on songs like “Speak to Me Bones,” “Summer Special,” and the brand-new “Death By Fire.”
It was the Rosebuds, however, who truly took control. The five-piece band, helmed by husband and wife Ivan Howard and Kelly Crisp, rolled through tracks off both Night of the Furies and Birds Make Good Neighbors with vigor and enthusiasm, despite the fact that Ivan’s re-injured knee forced him to sit during the majority of the show. After an enthusiastic response to “Get Up Get Out” and “Boxcar,” the group took advantage of the Pig’s intimate atmosphere, luring the audience with their charming Carolina drawls to the club’s doorway for an acoustic performance of “Shake Our Tree” as curious late-night passersby watched on, perplexed yes, but also most decidedly jealous of what was happening inside. MARISA BROWN / PHOTOS BY JOSHUA BAND
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