Last night I had the luxury of watching Granbrothers perform at the Central Presbyterian Church, in Austin, as part of SXSW 2024.
The setting was superb, with a giant cross looming over the stage as the lights flickered and flashed dramatically illuminating the high arched ceilings sporadically — like intermittent reminders of something 'bigger', something 'more.'
I've previously covered "What We See" as I've had a year-long love affair with their music. To then hear them explain their concept and how they work was such a treat. The two have been making music together for ten years or so, and for all four albums to date, they've used nothing by piano. Any synth or percussion heard is recorded piano that's been heavily processed.
The set started with "White Nights" — a song I listen to, safe to say, weekly. They played all my favorites, each a cause for my colleague's arm being battered with excitement as I nudged her to indicate how good the song to come would be. And they did not disappoint, we both sat there awe-struck and moved. They ended the night playing unreleased material due to feature on their fifth album that will contain some synths — a first for them and their fans.
Chalk this down to one of the best shows I've seen in a while. My prediction: no other show at SXSW 2024 will top this act for me.
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