Live Review: Waxahatchee, Kevin Morby

It’s been a long time coming for fans of Kevin Morby and Waxahatchee but finally, after years of crying and waiting, the gods of Jet Black Cat Music have sent down a gift from the heavens with a duo tour. Hot off a small EP of collaborative songs and a rich back catalogue for both artists, it’s safe to say The Foundry is a hive of anticipation.

With simply a guitar and keyboard on stage, the star-studded duo didn’t bring a band with them, and that’s perfectly fine for the crowd. Round eyes turn to hearts as Katie Crutchfield aka Waxahatchee hits the stage and sits down at the keyboard. As the first notes of Fruits Of My Labour (a stunning Lucinda Williams cover) and Clumsy ring out, Crutchfield is an absolute angel on stage, equal parts shy and overjoyed. “It’s comforting to see so many pleasant faces on the other side of the world,” she says. Transferring to guitar, the first strums of Silver send shivers down our collective spines as the world fades away in a room of silence and it’s just us together in this moment. Ending with La Loose, the short 45-minute set is enough to prick our ears but not enough to satisfy the wait we have had to endure for years – we can only hope for a full band tour in the near future.

A short turn-around time sees Kevin Morby hitting the stage early, but who’s complaining. Opening with recent album closer Downtown’s Lights - the wonder of Morby’s voice is hypnotic. The tracks translate beautifully live, at one point Morby merely says "guitar solo" in lieu of an actual solo while other times making use of a looper to flex his digits. Set highlights include the phenomenal Ferris Wheel and Baltimore (Sky at Night), both of which were already near-perfect tracks and are completely transformed with simply Morby and his guitar. Some lukewarm crowd banter as he tunes sees Morby being taught about the world of footy shorts, much to the delight of Queensland punters.

There is some slight disappointment as the brooding drawl of Harlem River rings out, the studio version of which could be the musical equivalent of a smile in a smoky room. Without the additional instrumentation and reverb on Morby’s voice, all the mystique and wonder that makes the track so profound is gone. Stripping back Morby’s music works a treat for many tracks but for this, it simply falls flat – especially with the extensive ride-out of the chorus for the last minute. We do get a nice little guitar solo though, proving that he thankfully hasn’t forgotten how to shred. Ending with huge single Beautiful Strangers, Morby embraces us with a warm musical hug as each refrain of “Oh, beautiful stranger” strolls by.

While there may have been respectful clapping and minimal Ric Flair "woo’s" at the end of each track, the reception when Morby ends his set is equivalent to Beethoven's Ninth Symphony. Within the minute, Morby returns on stage with Crutchfield in tow, eager to answer the room's unspoken question of, “Will they play those songs they just released together?” They absolutely will, the entire EP in fact - it’s only two tracks. Morby then succumbs to the comparisons that any indie starlet with a guitar and a wordy mind receives, ending with a surprise Bob Dylan cover of It Ain’t Me, Babe.