Phil Harder knows Low. His movie How to Quit Smoking, which premieres on April 20 at the Minneapolis / Saint Paul Film Festival, documents his 20 years of short films and videos with the band. Harder’s latest Low video, which premiered over at Stereogum, masterfully demonstrates his keen understanding of the music. The Minnesota-based band has always found grandeur in small gestures, but Jeff Tweedy-produced new album The Invisible Way particularly savors the granular details of organic instruments: piano, acoustic guitar, brushed percussion. The Harder-directed clip for “Just Make It Stop” makes this beauty-in-little-things approach visual, with close-ups of Mimi Parker and the guys performing in a studio. In a stop-motion sequence toward the end, plants come to life, emphasizing that the infinite complexity of even basic instruments can also be found in nature.
Low tour dates:
April 24 – Birmingham, UK @ Glee Club *
April 25 – Manchester, UK @ Central Methodist Hall *
April 26 – Gateshead, UK @ The Sage Gateshead *
April 27 – Glasgow, Scotland @ Classic Grand *
April 29 – Bristol, UK @ Trinity *
April 30 – London, UK @ Barbican Centre *
May 2 – Copenhagen, Denmark @ Loppen
May 3 – Stockholm, Sweden @ Debaser
May 4 – Oslo, Norway @ Bla
May 7 – Paris, France @ La Maroquinerie
May 8 – Brussels, Belgium @ Cirque Royal @ Nuits Botanique
May 9 – Amsterdam, The Netherlands @ Paradiso De Duif
May 10 – Frankfurt, Germany @ Zoom
May 11 – Bologna, Italy @ Teatro Antoniano
May 13 – Barcelona, Spain @ Casino de la Alianca
May 14 – Valencia, Spain @ Teatro La Rambleta
May 15 – Zaragoza, Spain @ Teatro de las Esquina
May 16 – Madrid, Spain @ Joy Eslava
May 17 – Valladolid, Spain @ Cupula del Milenio
May 18 – Biarritz, France @ Atabal
June 15 – Minneapolis, MN @ Rock the Garden
June 17 – Washington, DC @ Sixth & I Synagogue %
June 18 – Pittsburgh, PA @ Alter %
June 19 – Brooklyn, NY @ Music Hall of Williamsburg %
June 21 – Philadelphia, PA @ World Cafe Live %
June 22 – North Adams, MA @ Solid Sound Festival
July 20 – Chicago, IL @ Pitchfork Music Festival
August 17 – Glanusk, Wales @ Green Man Festival
* = w/ Hebronix
% = w/ Mike Doughty