Laying Down the Law: Langhorne Slim at the Tractor this Weekend
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Langhorne Slim and The Law at Tractor Tavern
Friday, August 3, 2012 at 9:30PM
By Sarah Volpone
Tickets
“You’ve got to see them live.”
When a fan says this, usually it’s because the band just put out an album with awful production, or their albums just don’t “sound” like them or whatever….but it’s meant to excuse some transgression. Other times someone tells you to see a band because they simply put on a great show. This is one of those times.
Langhorne Slim put out a great new album, The Way We Move, this year, funded by a Pledgemusic campaign. It sounds great; Langhorne has a unique, soulful voice and delivers clear vocals and relatable lyrics. His music contains elements of blues, country and folk, but don’t get me wrong, Langhorne and his band, the Law, also rock.
The songs on The Way We Move deal with such topics as love, life, and loss. The stand out track “Bad Luck,” is about striking out on your own and saying goodbye to your loved ones. The closing track, “Past Lives,” is about learning to work with what you’ve been given, a theme that resonates with most people. Front to back, it’s a great album.
“You’ve got to see them live,” though, right?
You’re in luck. Langhorne Slim and The Law play the Tractor Tavern this weekend and if the show is anything like an opening gig they did at the Showbox last year, it’s going to be an amazing night.
The Law is Malachi DeLorenzo, drums, David Moore, keys and banjo, and Jeff Ratner, bass and they add so much to the energy of the live show. The image from show I saw that stands out is Moore playing his banjo so fast and hard that his fingers started to bleed; he kept playing, using some electrical tape as make-shift bandages.
Listening to the new album makes me excited to see them live again, especially in a smaller venue, which will add to the experience. Go to the Tractor prepared to be amazed.
Kay Kay and His Weathered Underground and Tiny Messengers open the Tractor Tavern show on August 3. You can also catch Langhorne Slim & the Law live on KEXP earlier in the day. That set starts at 1 p.m.