an energetic Motorhead cover band from San Antonio – could be just what you’re looking for if you’re looking for that sort of thing

they were providing the musical entertainment for a special exhibit at the Museum of Natural and Artificial Ephemerata, an adorable example of Austin quirk – the exhibit was cave-themed and so they played old mining songs – I have become a fat sucker for Appalachian style music and this was a close approximation – I was in love forever when they explained to me that there’s a difference between bluegrass music (finger picking) and “old-time” music (hand strums more like a claw) – apparently what I like is the latter – the band consisted of three hobbyist musicians: a fiddle, banjo and guitar – I’m not sure that they play too often

guaranteed, this band is quintessential garage rock, the definition of it – but their live show was kind of horrifying – really old men using the same-old “we’re-so-crazy” rock star antics they’ve used for probably some 30-40 years now – one guy looked to have the same haircut he had in the 70s – jumping on the rails and running into the crowd is best pulled off by 20-somethings

The Chapin Sisters can harmonize. They can belt it with the best of them (including Zooey Deschanel). The best of their opening set was Let Me Go which crashed over the crowd like a tidal wave. The worst was their set closer, a creepy song Digging a Hole, which transformed them from Cinderella to the evil step-sisters.

That She & Him (Zooey Deschanel & M. Ward respectively) are darlings of the indie circuit is without a doubt. A sold-out all-ages show at the House of Blues Boston and an audience that was down with the duo’s plush, folky arrangements was all the proof necessary.

The first half of the set was rough. Deschanel seemed to have somewhere else to be and rushed through a dozen tracks in nearly as many minutes. They were pitch perfect, sounding just like the album and it was so disconnected, I might as well have been listening to the album. Great studio tracks like Lingering Still and Black Hole came off lacking any sort of warmth. Deschanel channels Peggy Lee like nobody’s business. Waid played his slide guitar with a bottle of Sam Summer, and just about everyone took turns on the keyboard at one point or another. With the Chapin Sisters providing background vocals – and a stellar backing band – it should have been anything but boring.

To be fair, the sound at the show wasn’t great. The backing vocals were hard to hear except when they shouted and given the talents of the Chapin Sisters, they weren’t given much to do anyway. The energy from the stage was lackluster at first and the audience was attentive the way you would be watching television. But it wasn’t until they sent away the band that the remarkable attraction between Deschanel and Waid was apparent. And then sparks flew.

A three-song solo set just She and Him, including a gorgeous duet on Smokey Robinson’s You Really Got a Hold On Me, changed up the energy of the show and proved why people love this band. After that, even with the band back on stage, the entire template for the night shifted. Deschanel seemed to have warmed up, and the audience warmed up to her. Hearing Waid’s unique, muscular vocals was a treat (shame he waited to the last song of the night to take up a lead vocal on a rollickin’ Roll Over Beethoven). They rocked out once or twice too, notably on their singles – a spastic, thumping version of In the Sun and an enthusiastic run through of This is Not a Test. Everything worked better in the second half, including a playful interlude during Sweet Darlin’ where Waid and Deschanel played the same keyboard simultaneously.

The show ended on a proper high. It was a shame they couldn’t capture that energy from the start, but they got there all the same.

She & Him setlist
Black Hole
Thieves
Over It Over Again
Lingering Still
Take It Back
Home
Sentimental Heart
Change Is Hard
I Thought I Saw Your Face Today
Brand New Shoes
You Really Got a Hold on Me
Would You Like to Take a Walk?
Magic Trick
Gonna Get Along Without You Now
In The Sun
Don’t Look Back
This Is Not a Test
Riding In My Car
I Was Made For You
Why Do You Let Me Stay Here?
Sweet Darlin’
Encore
Fools Rush In
Roll Over Beethoven