Frightened Rabbit, Tipitina’s, New Orleans

Tipitina’s is one of the most famous venues in New Orleans. It was opened in 1977 by local music enthusiasts and its name was taken from a song by Professor Longhair (whose visage is part of the logo). The building itself however has been around since 1912 and has had many incarnations: brothel, gambling house, gymnasium… Playing there is a pretty epic experience, by doing so one becomes a part of the history of a place that has been home to a range as broad as Better Than Ezra, Professor Longhair, Fats Domino, Wilco and Yo La Tengo. This Friday night it’s home to Plants & Animals and Frightened Rabbit for a few hours.

Montreal based Plants & Animals are a very good opener for Frightened Rabbit. They are just similar enough to get the audience in the right place but distinctive enough to hold their own. They have a sound that is reminiscent of ‘The Bends’ era Radiohead. Poppy and progressive, there is a whole lot of sound coming from three people. They don’t give a lot of personal stuff away on stage, not a lot of banter with the audience, except the classic ”We are so glad to be here in New Orleans!’, but this reticence doesn’t do anything to sway the audience’s admiration, they’re not just here for the headliners. One of the striking things about Plants & Animals is that while the music leans towards the aggressive, the vocals soften the experience. Lead vocalist Warren Spicer’s voice is warbly, when layered upon sounds from slow floaty rock to fast moving pop-punk, it makes the whole experience an incredibly interesting and intricate.

However much the audience was thrilled with the performance of Plants and Animals, they’re psyched at the entrance of Scottish indie folk rockers Frightened Rabbit. Every person at the venue is invited into a safe space where the hills are green and lush, the air smells wonderful and musicians sing about complicated loves lost and found and the lives they live in a bittersweet style. Frightened Rabbit has a sound at once epic and comforting. They are able to create music that transports one back; it invokes smells that put you into a specific time and place. This is helped enormously by their stage presence, they have obviously been on tour for a while; they are polished and personal on stage, letting you into their private world of the tour. They put on a wonderful and enchanting show. By the end of the evening, every single person in the room is smiling a dreamy grin and floating on home. An excellent and captivating show.