Bowerbirds at TT the Bears

On Further Review &
Photographic Evidence
by Emma Dessau
TT the Bear's Place in Cambridge - 7/12/2009

Photographs in this series by Emma Dessau

Touring behind their beautiful and powerful new album, Upper Air, Bowerbirds played before a captivated Boston audience at TT the Bears in Cambridge last week. Bowerbirds are Phil Moore (guitar, lead vocals) and Beth Tacular (accordion, keys, vocals) along with a slew of other talented friends who join them on tour. What a string of dates this act has in front of them! Bowerbirds are pretty much booked straight through the next seven or eight weeks. Catch them if you can - this is a highly recommended entertainment!

The indie-folk duo took the stage at TT the Bear’s Place on Sunday at an hour to midnight, surprised and flattered to see so many fans ignoring the impending doom of 7 a.m. wake up calls. “This is why the economy is bad right now? Because all you guys are spending your Sunday night at a Bowerbirds show?” joked Moore, lead vocalist and guitar player. Moore and Tacular, were joined by frequently accompanying band member Mark Paulson on percussion. Brad Cook of Megafaun, Bowerbirds stellar opening act, also joined them on stage with his standing bass. Bowerbirds' set was split evenly between new material from Upper Air and fan favorites from 2007s Hymns for a Dark Horse.

"Northern Lights"
from the new album Upper Air

press play!

The beauty of Bowerbirds lies in their ability to cast a spell of calming awe upon their audience. It is difficult not to be mesmerized while staring up at Moore and Tacular, who both look so earnestly moved by each lyric they sing, one might think they were coming up with words on the spot. If Moore’s simple yet moving lines: “I don’t expect a Southern girl to know the Northern lights...” doesn’t win you over, then perhaps Tacular will. She plays the accordion on almost every song - without without a hint of being a bit over the top. Good show!

So, as the clock struck midnight, Bowerbirds tenderly carried their audience into Monday morning. Hours later, as alarms blared throughout Boston and Cambridge, I’d like to think those of us who got a taste of Bowerbirds soothing sound felt okay about rolling out of bed and starting a new week.

Bowerbirds Dates
Jul 20th at the Mill in Iowa City, IA
Jul 21st at 7th Street Entry in Minneapolis, MN
Jul 22nd at The Slowdown in Omaha, NE
Jul 26th at Kirby Court in Salt Lake City, UT
Jul 29th at The Biltmore Cabaret in Vancouver, BC
Jul 30th at The Triple Door in Seattle, WA
Jul 31st at the Dept of Safety in Anacortes, WA
Aug 1st at Mississippi Studios in Portland, OR
Aug 3rd at Cafe du Nord in San Francisco, CA
Aug 4th at The Echo in Los Angeles, CA
Aug 5th at The Casbah in San Diego, CA
Aug 6th at The Rhythm Room in Phoenix, AZ
Aug 10th at Club Congress in Tucson, AZ
Aug 12th at Haily's in Denton, TX
Aug 13th at The Mohawk in Austin, TX
Aug 14th at Walter's on Washinton in Houston, TX
Aug 15th at One-Eyed Jacks in New Orleans, LA
Aug 16th at The Bottletree in Birmingham, AL
Aug 17th at The Earl in Atlanta, GA
Aug 22nd at The Arts Center in Carrboro, NC

BOWERBIRDS
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