Live music in a small setting is a wonderful thing, especially when the musicians doing the playing have reached such an accomplished level of musicianship that it makes one wonder — to paraphrase Billy Joel — “What are you doing here?” That was my reaction to seeing the Watson Twins and Tim Fite at Bottom of the Hill in San Francisco. It was a study in contrasts to hear these performers one after the other — and that’s not necessarily a bad thing. Fite’s music is not for the casual music fan, and his songs are so much better live than on his CD, Fair Ain’t Fair. His onstage persona is that of a possessed southern preacher who may or may not be “all there.” He can clearly work the crowd, and watching him perform is exhausting — but in a good way.
The Watson Twins let their music speak for itself. They aren’t performance artists (as Fite is), but they don’t have to be. Their music crosses genres like folk, country, and pop, and they’re poised to “cross over” to the mainstream very soon — if the single “How Am I to Be” is any indication.
I put together a video report/review of the show to add a little multimedia enhancement to this Popdose feature. Enjoy!
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