On Stage: Courtney Barnett in Austin (review and photo gallery)

Editor’s Note: All photos are courtesy of 360°Sound contributor Justin Zamudio. Scroll to the bottom of the article to view the full photo gallery, which includes shots of opener Truman Sinclair.

Indie rock sensation Courtney Barnett kicked off the Creature of Habit tour at the Radio/East outdoor stage on May 1 in Austin, Texas. Clad in a solid green button-down shirt with the sleeves rolled up, Barnett greeted the crowd with a simple “Hey!” and began strumming her guitar.

The Aussie singer-songwriter was joined by bassist Bones Sloane and drummer Stella Mozgawa, and the potent power trio proceeded to tear through 18 songs, including eight from the new record, on the unseasonably cold and windy night in Central Texas. It had rained all day, and fortunately, the downpour abated not long before opener Truman Sinclair, a folk-rock band from Los Angeles, took the stage at 8 p.m.

Courtney Barnett performs at Radio/East in Austin, Texas, on May 1. [Credit: Justin Zamudio]

Barnett set the tone right away with fuzzed-out opener “Stay In Your Lane,” the first track (and one of the best) on Creature of Habit, her fourth studio album.

“She’s a fucking badass,” said the young blonde ponytailed woman standing in front of me. Barnett backed up that statement many times over during the hour-and-a-half set, especially when ripping guitar solos, which at times sounded like Crazy Horse-era Neil Young. She’s not a flashy or particularly technical guitarist, but her parts support the songs extremely well.

The stage set was bare-bones, no video screens or fancy effects, just some lights that would occasionally flash and change colors. No need for gimmicks when you’re a power trio whose mission is to rock.

Courtney Barnett (guitar), Stella Mozgawa (drums), and Bones Sloane (bass) perform at Radio/East in Austin, Texas, on May 1. [Credit: Justin Zamudio]

Barnett followed the opener with “City Looks Pretty,” the sole selection from her second LP, Tell Me How You Really Feel, singing “Sometimes I get sad/it’s not all bad.”[360’s Chris Bisha reviewed the documentary, Anonymous Club, which chronicled that album’s world tour]. The song slowed to a bluesy tempo, then Barnett unleashed a herky-jerky solo.

Attendees were then treated to her breakout 2013 hit, “Avant Gardener,” one of the tracks that made me a Barnett fan when I first heard it over a decade ago. It’s chock-full of deadpan humor delivered in her trademark speak-singing style. “It’s a Monday, it’s so mundane/What exciting things will happen today?”

Barnett, who is notoriously shy, then spoke to the crowd for the second time: “How are you doing out there? It’s nice to see you!”

She cranked out three tracks from the new LP, including the midtempo single “Site Unseen,” which features indie singer-songwriter Waxahatchee on the record. I especially enjoyed “Seen,” which contains one of her prettiest melodies. Barnett’s typically monotone voice went up an octave on the chorus, followed by her chiming guitar licks. Her vocals sounded terrific live, and the mix at Radio/East was outstanding – well-balanced and loud – but not too loud. Kudos to the sound engineer.

“This is another new song,” Barnett said, before playing “Great Advice.” On cue, dozens from the crowd filed out to grab another beer. Their loss as “Great Advice” possesses angular, Talking Heads-esque riffs, and a catchy – literally – chorus: “Catchphrase, there’s got to be another way.” Those who stayed applauded and cheered as it ended.

Bones Sloane, the bassist in Courtney Barnett’s band, performs at Radio/East in Austin, Texas, on May 1. [Credit: Justin Zamudio]

Two-thirds of the way through the set, Barnett broke out fan-favorite “Elevator Operator” and several songs from her third album, Things Take Time, Take Time. The wind picked up during the new song “Sugar Plum,” and the temperature continued to drop, befitting the song’s icy drum machine intro.

Barnett introduced the band and thanked the crew for working hard in the rain earlier.

“I’m ready for a change,” she sang on “One Thing a Time,” stretching out the “chaaaaange” and launching into a solo as flashing vertical blue lights illuminated the stage. The blonde girl in front of me started headbanging, nearly smacking me in the face with her ponytail.

“Thank you so much!” Barnett said before exiting the stage.

The three-song encore began with a solo performance of “Mostly Patient,” which has the repeated line “Outside, it’s raining, precipitating/I know you’re aching for better days.”

Barnett closed with a killer one-two punch of early rockers “Pedestrian at Best” and “Nobody Really Cares If You Don’t Go to the Party,” whipping the crowd into a frenzy. “Pedestrian at Best” contains perhaps my favorite line in her catalog: “Give me all your money and I’ll make some origami, honey.” During “Nobody Really Cares,” two young women to my left, overcome with glee, joined hands and started doing a do-si-do. “I wanna go out, but I wanna stay home,” Barnett sang as the crowd roared. I’d say everyone was glad they didn’t stay home.

For tour dates, visit Courtney Barnett’s official site.