Pitchfork

Photos by Zach Vowell

For a home-recording singer/songwriter, Mark Linkous and his touring version of Sparklehorse appeared on stage at Austin's Antone's this past Friday with a surprising air of professionalism. Linkous-- decked out in an ensemble coat, vest, slacks, and discriminating footwear-- stripped away much of the lo-fi trickery from the night's songs, preferring to rely more on his voice and memorable lyrics.

Bittersweet numbers like "Spirit Ditch" and "Apple Bed" never upstaged uptempo songs like "Hammering the Cramps"-- which, following Jesse Sykes' opening set of siren vocals and slow-burn hypnotics, provided a welcome contrast. Not all the tricks were forsaken, though, as Linkous more often than not cloaked his voice through his trusty processed microphone.

This was Sparklehorse's first date on their first U.S. tour in quite some time, so maybe it was too much to ask for Experimental Linkous. And really, disappointments were practically non-existent (minus the omission of "Shade and Honey"!). If Astralwerks ever decides to put out a Sparklehorse greatest hits collection, they needn't look much further than this night's setlist.

Sparklehorse and Jesse Sykes & the Sweet Hereafter continue their North American tour through March.

JESSE SYKES & THE SWEET HEREAFTER


SPARKLEHORSE








Sparklehorse:

02-05 Santa Fe, NM - Santa Fe Brewing Company *
02-06 Tempe, AZ - Clubhouse Music Venue *
02-07 Solana Beach, CA - Belly Up Tavern *
02-09 Hollywood, CA - Henry Fonda Theatre *
02-10 San Francisco, CA - The Fillmore *
02-13 Portland, OR - Wonder Ballroom *
02-14 Seattle, WA - The Showbox *
02-15 Vancouver, British Columbia - Richard's on Richards *
02-17 Denver, CO - Gothic Theatre *
02-19 Minneapolis, MN - First Avenue *
02-20 Madison, WI - High Noon Saloon *
02-21 Chicago, IL - Metro *
02-22 Detroit, MI - Saint Andrews Hall *
02-23 Toronto, Ontario - Mod Club Theatre *
02-24 Montreal, Quebec - Club Soda *
02-26 Boston, MA - The Paradise *
02-27 New York, NY - Webster Hall *
03-01 Baltimore, MD - Ram's Head Live *
03-02 Carrboro, NC - Cat's Cradle *
03-03 Charleston, SC - The Music Farm *
03-04 Atlanta, GA - Variety Playhouse *
05-18-20 Somerset, England - Butlins Minehead (ATP Versus You [the Fans])

* with Jesse Sykes & the Sweet Hereafter