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The Current Sessions®: Duluth indie veterans Low perform at the Fitzgerald Theater

Alan Sparhawk of Low at the Fitzgerald Theater.
Alan Sparhawk of Low at the Fitzgerald Theater.MPR / Nate Ryan
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by Andrea Swensson, Mark Wheat and Low

April 03, 2013

Low are minimalists in every sense of the word. Every note, every rise and fall in dynamic, every snippet of between-song banter is intentional, and measured.

Holding The Current Sessions® at The Fitzgerald Theater was an ideal setting for Low's poignant show on Saturday, March 23 —I can't imagine trying to stand up or push through a chatty crowd while absorbing such hefty songs—and Sparhawk noted his appreciation for the space. "My father called me five minutes before we went on to congratulate me on playing the Fitzgerald Theater," he remarked, grinning slyly. "I think he saw a radio show here a couple times."

Beyond that, not much else was said. Instead, Sparhawk, Parker, and their Low bandmate Steve Garrington—who stuck to playing piano for the majority of the evening—let the songs speak for themselves, first playing 10 of the 11 tracks on their new The Invisible Way and then delving into a set of songs that stretched all the way back to their earliest days as a group. When they returned for a two-song encore, the audience still didn't seem to want to let them leave. Luckily, Sparhawk announced they'd be back in the Twin Cities for more events (yes, plural) before the year is through.

Songs played:

1. Plastic Cup
2. Waiting
3. Holy Ghost
4. So Blue
5. Mother
6. On My Own
7. Fearless
8. Dinosaur Act
9. Words
10. In The Drugs
11. Especially Me
12. Murderer
13. Monkey