If music is what fuels your love, play on

In July 2011, I moved from Raleigh to Atlanta to start my first post-college job. I was out on my own in a new city. Those who know me are aware that my passion is music, so of course I spent my free time going to concerts. But at first I only went to see big-name artists at big-name venues. It took a while to stop feeling like a tourist and start feeling like a resident. That transition happened when I began exploring the local folk music scene, and it started with a band from Calhoun called Larkin Poe.

It was the third week of January 2012. I was browsing a calendar of Atlanta events for something to do over the weekend. I scrolled, and I scrolled, and then for some reason I stopped on a band I'd never heard of before. Larkin Poe. I searched that name on YouTube and found this video:

For the first few seconds of the video, you don't even see their faces, just their hands playing the opening riff. And then a girl who resembles Zooey Deschanel opens her mouth and starts singing in a soothing voice: "And me...." Just two words in and I was immediately hooked. As I watched the rest of the video, I just felt so relaxed. If chicken and potatoes is comfort food, then this is comfort music.

I did some research to find out more. Rebecca Lovell is the brunette playing acoustic guitar and mandolin. Megan Lovell is the blonde playing dobro; she also plays electric lap steel guitar. They used to be in a group called the Lovell Sisters with their elder sister Jessica; when she left to pursue other interests, Rebecca and Megan moved on and named their new band after their great-great-great-grandfather Larkin Poe.

So Saturday the 21st came and I drove to a place called Eddie's Attic in Decatur, an intimate music venue named after founder Eddie Owen. Larkin Poe had already been recording and touring for two years, so they had developed a substantial fanbase. I struggled to find a seat.

I was blown away by how talented these girls are for their young age. The songs were exquisite. The musicianship was exceptional. I enjoyed every minute of it. I remember being particularly struck by a song called "Praying for the Bell," a breakup song with macabre undertones. "My heart's six feet down, my ear's to the ground, praying for the bell to ring." In the days before modern medicine, people could go into a coma and mistakenly be declared dead.

"The screams of a young Belgian girl who came out of a trance-like state as the earth fell on her coffin so upset Count Karnice-Karnicki, Chamberlain to the Czar and Doctor of the Law Faculty of the University of Louvain, that he invented a coffin which allowed a person accidentally buried alive to summon help through a system of flags and bells. Patented in 1897, this hermetically-sealed coffin had a tube, about 3.5 inches in diameter, extending to a box on the surface. The tube was attached to a spring-loaded ball sitting on the corpse's chest. Any movement of the chest would release the spring, opening the box lid and admitting light and air into the coffin. To signal for help, a flag would spring up, a bell would ring for half an hour, and a lamp would burn after sunset." (snopes.com)

So there's your history lesson for the day. After a first-rate cover of Jimi Hendrix's "Bleeding Heart" to close the set, which featured solos by guitarist Rick Lollar and drummer Chad Melton, the girls adjourned to the lobby to sell merchandise and chat with fans. "That was an amazing show," I told them. "I loved that." I bought their entire discography (Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter, and Thick as Thieves) and got it all autographed. I knew I would have to see them again soon.

I didn't have to wait long. They announced a concert at the Crimson Moon Cafe in Dahlonega on February 18. Dahlonega was the site of the first American gold rush, and the Crimson Moon resides in one of the town's historic buildings. When I arrived I was greeted by Dana the proprietress. I sat down to enjoy some fantastic fall-off-the-bone ribs and chatted with the other people at my table. They were very friendly and gave me some tips on local places to visit.

One of the fun parts of the evening was when the girls took questions from the audience. They mentioned that they are independent artists. Not signed to a major record company, they self-release on their own label. I love that! For the encore they stood in front of the stage and performed a beautiful acoustic rendition of "Subway Song." After the concert I went up to Dana, who remembered my name, and asked if I could take home one of the posters advertising the show. She said yes and I got it signed by Rebecca and Megan. Rebecca told me to come out to the next show, and I promised I would.

Once again I didn't have to wait long. On March 9th Rebecca and Megan played a show as a duo at Party Chic in Roswell. Party Chic is a cafe known for its cupcakes, but I had a strawberry shortcake, which was a great choice. Don't worry, I've since been back to Party Chic a few times and had their cupcakes. One time they even featured a fabulous s'mores cupcake! But I digress.

After they were done performing, Rebecca and I sat and chatted for a bit. She even taught me the chords to "Long Hard Fall" and "Praying for the Bell." I recorded my own cover version of the latter and sent it to her. Her response? "Way cool."

On April 11th, I ventured back to Eddie's Attic to see a show by the ATL Collective, which is a group of local Atlanta artists who get together every month to pay tribute to a classic album. This particular show featured Chantae Cann, Molly Parden, Larkin Poe, and others. The album was The Supremes A' Go-Go from 1966. Larkin Poe performed "These Boots Are Made for Walkin" and "Money (That's What I Want)" and knocked them out of the park. They got the loudest cheers of any of the artists that played that night.

Don't you love those peacock earrings?

Just ten days later they played at the Red Clay Theatre, a former church in Duluth turned into a concert hall by the aforementioned Eddie Owen. I arrived early and got a seat up front. The opening act was Eliot Bronson, formerly of Atlanta band The Brilliant Inventions. Eliot is originally from Baltimore, which comes through in some of his lyrics. I'm really looking forward to his upcoming album.

This was the last show I attended where Megan featured her dobro. Since then she's focused on the lap steel.

The Red Clay Theatre has two floors; the concert hall is on the top floor. Part of Eddie's vision for the building is to use the bottom floor as a music school for local children. What a great idea!

More photos from the Red Clay show can be found on my Flickr page.

After that they went on tour for a while, but they came back to play at Park Tavern on the corner of Piedmont Park in midtown Atlanta on May 20th. Every Sunday during the summer, local radio station 99X sponsors a free "Unplugged in the Park" concert series.

I got there as the first band, the Daniels Brothers, was playing. I saw Rebecca standing by the door, so I went over to say hello. She invited me to sit at the VIP table. I met the whole Lovell family (minus Jessica, who lives in Canada now).

As we enjoyed our drinks, the second band, Delta Rae, took the stage. Delta Rae is from Durham, so it was great to hear some songs about my home state. And let me tell you, this band rocks! Great rhythms, great harmonies. They recently released their first album Carry the Fire, and I highly recommend it.

Finally Larkin Poe took the stage, with their brand-new bass guitarist Robby Handley. During "Sea Song," after the line "to a mended heart" I shouted out the backup "hey hey!" that appears on the record, which made Mrs. Lovell laugh.

At one point between songs, Rebecca brought up the subject of malfunctioning appliances. "Don't you ever yell at your toaster?" The look on Megan's face was priceless.

After the show Megan and I chatted about my recent trip to Boston and their upcoming show in Decatur. She recommended that I stay to watch the Shadowboxers, a local band that would be performing after them at said show.

The following weekend, on May 26th, Larkin Poe performed at the Decatur Arts Festival as part of a lineup that included the Bitteroots, Coy Bowles, and the aforementioned Shadowboxers. I got a free lunch from a local restaurant, I chatted with Rebecca and Megan's parents again, and I managed not to get too sunburned. All in all a good day.

On June 29th, Rebecca and Rick played as a duo at Party Chic. It was cool to hear some tunes other than the usual Larkin Poe standards.

During the intermission, we all hung out. I showed Rick how to do a crostic puzzle. Also it was a few days after my birthday, so they sang me "Happy Birthday" over a cupcake. It doesn't get much better than that.

They can call me a fan, or a friend, or a groupie, or whatever. But I am so grateful to the big-hearted Lovell sisters for making me feel welcome as a newcomer to Georgia. And along the way I have journeyed back to the previously mentioned venues to see literally dozens of other talented local artists perform. Look for them in future posts on this blog.

Support local music. Support independent music. And if Larkin Poe happens to play a show in your area, say hello to them for me!