Live Review: Steve Gunn @ Teragram Ballroom, February 9, 2019

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On the heels of his excellent new album, The Unseen In Between, his 8th overall, singer-songwriter, master guitarist Steve Gunn brought his bag of thoughtful tunes that defy easy categorization–they lie somewhere in a Venn diagram between pop, folk, psych–the percentages vary on a given track–to the Teragram Ballroom this past Saturday in a winning full-band performance.

The satisfying hour long set criss-crossed the gamut of his sounds. As a showcase for the new release, live standouts were plentiful: From the shimmering “New Moon,” to the Smiths-y gem “Vagabond,”to the tender “Morning is Mended,” tonight’s encore closing number (the introduction of which saw Steve sarcastically shout out the annoying drunk bros who had been loud down front for much of the show).

The songs are mostly in a mellow vein (slotting nicely alongside labelmate Kurt Vile, though not a perfect comparison) but the band can get loud as on the extended jam on “Lightning Field.” The intricacy of arrangement and standout guitar playing throughout keep things stimulating so there’s never any danger of mellow lapsing into sleepy. All in all, a heady, nourishing treat of live tunes laced with uncommon intelligence and elegance.

Steve Gunn | steve-gunn.com

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