Live Review: Okkervil River, Louis & The Honkytonk

Perth Festival has spent just shy of $19 million to bring an array of art forms to the most isolated city in the world. The Chevron Gardens have been host to an eclectic selection of acts; strung with warm light bulbs and garnished with a bed of inventive outdoor settings, it has attracted an assortment of spectators. This time the tasteful punters came out for Texan indie folk group Okkervil River.

Local legendaries Louis & The Honkytonk opened the gardens and displayed the vibrancy of the developing Perth music scene. Their dirty Nick Cave-inspired tunes shadow grungy vocals, wild guitar and erratic energy. Hand On Her Pride and The River prove the audacity of toiled-over lyrics. Credit also goes to ditty Red Shadow Crept, constructed with layer upon layer of instrumental parts. A deserved honourable mention must go to drummer Jesse Brown's unbelievable mo. Well-groomed and accompanied by perfectly oversized spectacles, this lad looks suave and doesn't miss a beat.

It would seem playing to hundreds of fans is a frightful experience for Okkervil River. It proved difficult to rave over the timid five-piece; it was like they had been tempted out of their caves for a night under the stars.

The music, however, was admirable. After seven album releases, frontman Will Sheff shares a dark loss of youth, opening with It Was My Season, from their latest LP, The Silver Gymnasium. There is no going past the beauty of tracks from 2005 album Black Sheep Boy including admired rock number Black Lyrics.

Melancholy guitarist Lauren Gurgiolo at times emerged from her brown curly mop hair – which swayed in front of her face – to deliver a smirk of self-confidence. The clarity and perfection of guitar hooks, which wailed from her cream Fender, are evidence as to why this band has played alongside The National and The Decemberists.

Acoustic encore A Stone was harrowingly majestic in the moonlight, as it spoke of a tortured love. Listening and appreciating Okkervil River is like waiting for a good wine to ferment: it can take a bit of hard work to warm up to them – a bit of waiting for the wow factor – but once they have you, you leave a bit higher on life.