The Handsome Family's Banterous Show Delights Crowd
Published
The Handsome Family is made up of married duo Brett and Rennie Sparks from Illinois, with Jason Toth accompanying on drums. Having been making music for the past twenty years, with Rennie writing and Brett singing, the duo epitomize ‘alternative country’ with their often dark-humoured lyrics. The biography on their website hits the nail on the head; their music is “brilliant, emotionally-charged and totally unique”.
They are also eager to point out that their repertoire, including ten studio albums, goes beyond the dark, psychedelic infused "Far From Any Road", the song that True Detective fans will recognize as the hit shows theme tune. This is something the duo are keen to also joke about, as their show at Leeds Irish Centre on 16th March demonstrates. Incredibly sharp and witty, Rennie jokes that they live in a large house thanks to the “HBO thing”. It's the banter between the couple, and with the audience, that really makes the show a marvellous performance, besides the obvious brilliance of their music.
The Irish Centre seems an odd venue for The Handsome Family to play at first. The chairs and tables that occupy most of the venue’s space seem strangely placed. The band occupy the large stage, whilst the audience huddle around tables, and those who don’t occupy tables, huddle over and try to get a good view of the duo. As the night progresses, however, this set up is strangely fitting.
Before each song, Brett and Rennie, though often bickering and contradicting one another, offer the audience some insight. The songs they perform, though taken from across their many albums, fit together well; the stories behind every song flow together as if the entire set is one continuous story. Intentional or not, it adds to The Handsome Family’s charm. Their direct engagement with the audience throughout the show really creates a warm atmosphere, as Rennie jokingly reassures the close audience that we’ll be fine when they perform "The Giant of Illinois"; Rennie is aware that many people don’t like stories that are told backwards, as this song is.
The diversity in subject matter in the duo’s repertoire makes for an evening without a dull moment; "The Loneliness of Magnets" is one of the sets more bizarre songs. About a man who was sad and lonely because he worked with powerful magnets, it has a truly kooky vibe to it and really epitomizes what it is that makes The Handsome Family so enthralling. The set is, however, not without its more emotional moments, if magnet-induced loneliness is not touching enough.
"My Ghost" tells the story of Brett’s experience being institutionalized; it has an unavoidable eerie sadness to it. As the band perform "My Ghost", Brett’s voice echoes throughout the venue and demonstrates the band’s ability to really express emotion through their songs. Though even this song is not without a touch of humour. Rennie introduces it as being the moment she realized the reliable man she thought she’d married was actually just mad; they close the song bickering about Brett’s swearing. It is these small banterous exchanges between the couple that perhaps best encapsulate the energy that the duo put into the music of The Handsome Family.
To find out more about The Handsome Family click here.
To visit The Handsome Family's Facebook page click here.
Words by Ellie Brown
