There were a few years between 2019-2021 where I was wondering if we would ever be able to see the Handsome Family tour again. There were several tours cancelled because of Covid and the couple of times I asked the band about the chance of a tour, the answers were disconcertingly vague -- as they had to be given the uncertain nature of the pandemic.
Luckily the husband and wife songwriting team of Brett and Rennie Sparks finally were able to book and complete a EU/UK tour in the Fall of 2022. I took this tour as an opportunity to follow them around for a little bit in England, catching their shows in Brighton, Birmingham, Exeter, and Oxford (the first two were recorded by me from the audience). Because they were debuting new and unreleased songs on that tour, I chose not to share those recordings at the time. We'll be seeing the Brighton and Birmingham shows on the blog soon.
Since then the Handsome Family has released the new album, Hollow, and travelled through the midwest in October with a memorable show at the Old Town School of Folk Music.
The sound system at the Old Town School is incredibly clear, which is reflected in this audience capture. There was plenty of the usual banter here, often with references to Chicago (the Sparks lived and performed in the world's coolest city for several years).
Recording information:
Handsome Family2023-10-06
Chicago, IL
Old Town School of Folk Music
Brett Sparks: guitar, vocals
Rennie Sparks: banjo, bass, vocals
Alex MacMahon: guitar, baritone guitar, pedal steel
Jason Toth: drums
Tracklist:
01 Banter (7:36)
02 Bottomless Hole (3:48)
03 Banter - Amanda Palmer Added A Verse (0:56)
04 So Much Wine (4:22)
05 Banter - A Song About Maggots (0:58)
06 The Loneliness of Magnets (3:58)
07 Banter - Big Block of Wood (1:12)
08 The King of Everything (3:34)
09 Banter - There’s An Honor Among Musicians (0:38)
10 My Sister’s Tiny Hands (4:04)
11 Banter - Colonel Mustard (1:46)
12 Weightless Again (4:08)
13 Banter - Naperville (3:30)
14 Joseph (3:43)
15 Banter - We Tried to Make 8-tracks (1:28)
16 Back in My Day (5:43)
17 Shady Lake (3:42)
18 Banter- The Commish (0:51)
19 Far From Any Road (4:22)
20 Banter - I Lost Mine at the Dogs (2:47)
21 24-Hour Store (4:35)
22 Banter - A Punishment for High School Students (1:58)
23 Frogs (4:41)
24 Banter - If You Cut An Arm Off (0:56)
25 The Octopus (3:34)
26 Banter - I Have A Harmonium at Home (0:55)
27 Two Black Shoes (6:38)
28 Banter - That Was a Pretty Long Set (0:59)
29 The Saint of Illinois (3:35)
30 Banter - Everyone Is Happy Now, Sort Of (1:33)
31 Good Night (4:27)
Total time = 96:57
Microphones: Audio-technica AT853 omni stereo pair
Preamplifier: Church CA9200
Recorder: Roland R-07
Software: Audacity, Fission, xAct
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