Larkin Poe The Metro Sideshow

Kate Young
10th Apr 2023

It was four years ago to the date, when I was first introduced to band Larkin Poe. I was on the shuttle to the blues and roots festival from my local Airbnb. My fellow music travellers had indulged a little too much the day before, so it being the third day of our pass and not wanting to miss out on anything, I was taking on the festival alone. Boarding the bus I sat down in the only unoccupied seat, pulled out my program and started planning my day, Rock Wiz was first on the agenda, then War and Treaty, Emelda May, Mojo Juju. Happily circling away when the older gentleman seated next to me started asking me about who I was planning to see that day, showing him who I had picked so far. We began to compare notes and that’s when he mentioned I should check out the sister duo from Atlanta who would knock my socks off. Having never heard of them he had me sold when he mentioned that their band name was a direct homage to their great great great great Grandfather esteemed poet Edgar Allan Poe. It so happened that day local radio station Bay FM were hosting an artist tent and the sisters Megan and Rebecca Lovell, were sat down to do an interview, they ended their time with an acapellaversion of “Wade in The water” which did make me loose my socks and the roof of that small tent. From then I just had to see what they could do live as a band and some power strapped to their hands.

It's now 2023 and the ladies are back ready to unleash their unique melting pot sound of 70’s classic rock merged with the roots that make up Americana music (blues, folk, rhythm and even gospel), add a sprinkle of gothic undertones and its hard not to fall under their southern charms. 

On Sunday 9 April, sisters Rebecca and Megan Lovell along with their fellow band mates Brent Layman (Bass) and Ben Satterlee (Drums) took the stage at Metro Theatre, walking out to Cream’s White Room the band set the atmosphere, this show was going to be epic and how it did not disappoint. The set itself opened up  with Strike Gold, with its stomping grooves, throbbing lap steel, it was a killer track to open up with, setting into motion from the get go, that this Larkin Poe set is a testament to female strength and will power. Quite a ballsy move when the majority of fans here are cis white middle age men (I understand the appeal though, these woman are musicians who have honed their craft and have been inspired by many of these men’s musical heroes) these woman not only hold their own but will out play anyone who challenges them. All you have to do is stand and watch Rebecca play, its hypnotic the way her hands have a mind of their own ,working up and down that guitar neck, plucking, strumming and everything in-between.  By know means is that to say that Megan’s lap steel plays second fiddle, one of the most joyous things about watching the sisters on stage is watching the battle of strings as both of them tend to play to each other during songs, like magnets attracting and repelling each other only to be forged in sound. This was followed by Kick The Blues and Summertime Sunset, these tracks all being from their latest album, Blood Harmony which is also the name of their national tour. Majority of songs were from this new album with a few reimagined hits from past albums.

Hailing from Nashville, there were a few songs that were quite transportive, such as Georgia off my mind and Southern Comfort, if you closed your eyes you could feel that long hot lazy heat, even as I stood there in my jumper. Preachin Blues took us to church, which was quite fitting with it being Easter Sunday, Rebecca lead this sermon speaking from the heart, calling out to her ancestors and compelling us to the power of our savior – Blues.  

The highlight of the night for me was their performance of Mad as a Hatter a song, which Rebecca wrote when she was 15, it deals with their parental grandfathers struggle with mental illness. It’s a haunting tale that’s sadly more common that what we think. Megan in a very honest and raw moment spoke of how she has dealt with her own depression and mental health (especially after the last few years) and how she hoped by opening up about it and speaking/singing about it, might somehow normalize it or at least get conversations happening so people don’t feel so alone.

The set also included songs from their other critically and commercially successful albums Self Made Man and Venom and Faith (I was disappointed there was nothing from their 2014 release Kin, still my favorite and still waiting for a re-release on vinyl). 

To close out the set we had Might as well be me, which I have to say is a personal favorite from the new album, which is a heart-wrenching tale of sacrifice in a troubled relationship.  Rebecca’s vocals take flight as they soar on this track and with a mournful guitar solo from Megan’s slide that mimics the sweet sadness of lyrics. The Band returned for to play Boltcutters and The Family Name for their encore, which I think, was a perfect way and sentiment to wrap it all up.

This was a high-energy show (as they all are) I don’t know how the two of them do it, as they always seem to be touring. The road maybe long, and their limbs may be tired but you could never tell as they never waiver from radiating pure joy and passion when they play, drawingeveryone into the experience.

The Lovell sisters have musically come along way in the last few years since I originally saw them, they were always very accomplished talented ladies (they have been playing for 17 years) who both are quite accomplished on many varied instruments, what I mean is that they have been on a musical voyage constantly changing their sound, not getting stuck pigeonholed into one genre. What has always been prevalent though is their pride in their origins: there’s always been a strongsense of history in their music, their background, their lyrics and their attitude. They will continue to tell stories of the south, revel in their musical kinship and make sure those family roots are planted firmly in the ground.

larkinpoe.com/