Courtney Barnett performs at Rock the Garden 2015

It takes a lot of rock 'n' roll to make an outdoor stage at 6 p.m. feel like a club late at night, but between their all-black outfits, flying hair, and ceaseless fog machine, Courtney Barnett and her bandmates Dave Mudie and Bones Sloane turned the intensity up to 11 and delivered a searing performance.

"Don't be shy about singing along if you know the words," Barnett instructed. "We're all friends here."

Singing along with her lyrics requires a special commitment — she's a fierce lyricist and wordsmith, and the lines tumble out of her mouth at breakneck speed--but the crowd gave it their all on familiar tunes like "Dead Fox," "Depreston," and her breakout hit, "Avant Gardener," which has taken on a smokier, gruffer tone. Barnett's voice sounded road-tested, breaking into a throaty burn when the mood called for it, and she was especially emotive during the elongated build-up of one of the set's highlights "Kim's Caravan."

Setlist

"Elevator Operator"
"Lance Jr."
"An Illustration of Loneliness (Sleepless in New York)"
"Canned Tomatoes (Whole)"
"Small Poppies"
"Dead Fox"
"Depreston"
"Avant Gardener"
"Kim's Caravan"
"Scotty Says"
"History Eraser"
"Pedestrian at Best"

Written by Andrea Swensson
Produced by Derrick Stevens
Engineered by Mike DeMark

More Rock the Garden 2015 coverage »

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