Handsome Family at Old Town School of Folk Music in Chicago on October 6, 2023

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).

Buy their new album here.

Recording information:

Handsome Family
2023-10-06
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

downloads:

24bit, 48kHz FLAC files (998 MB)

These are high resolution lossless audio files -- better than CD quality

320 kbps mp3 files 225 MB)

highest quality lossy mp3 files possible 

The Handsome Family at Shank Hall in Milwaukee on July 17, 2018

It's hard to believe that the last time that the Handsome Family performed in Milwaukee was at this show from the summer of 2018.

I'm a very big fan of the work of Brett and Rennie Sparks. I think they have written a half dozen songs which will still be on people's minds in a hundred years. Rennie is certainly one of (if not the) best lyricist working today. Her work is rich with unexpected images and rich symbolism. 

The Sparks specialize in a sort of American Gothic version Americana (or alt-country). Like Grant Woods' painting, their songs can at first seem ordinary. But there is often a sinister or absurdly frightening aspect underneath. "Oh, there's a hole in my backyard" is a somewhat normal sort of thing to think. But in the Sparks' hands, the narrator of the song "Bottomless Hole" soon finds himself hurtling down a bottomless hole, forever.

In the years 1993-96 I lived in Chicago and used to see the Handsome Family at venues like the legendary and much-missed Lounge Ax. Shank Hall is not quite as legendary, but their sound system is excellent and no one at the venue bothered me about bringing my recording gear in.

On this set of songs, the Sparks are accompanied by Alex MacMahon and Jason Toth.

Recording information:

HANDSOME FAMILY
2018-07-17
Milwaukee, WI at Shank Hall

Brett Sparks: guitar, vocals
Rennie Sparks: banjo, bass, vocals
Alex MacMahon: guitar, baritone guitar, pedal steel
Jason Toth: drums

Setlist:
01 My Sister’s Tiny Hands
02 So Much Wine
03 Stalled
04 Weightless Again
05 Banter - Something Big and Something Little
06 Cathedrals
07 Up Falling Rock Hill
08 The Giant of Illinois
09 The Woman Downstairs
10 Far From Any Road
11 Banter - Roving Bands of Hobos in Albuquerque 
12 Owls
13 Bottomless Hole
14 The Loneliness of Magnets
15 Banter - Who Here Is Afraid of Tunnels
16 In the Air
17 24-hour Store

Microphones: Beyerdynamic MC930 (cardioid) ORTF
Recorder: Sound Devices MixPre 6 at 24/48
Software: Audacity, Fission, xAct

Buy their latest album here

downloads:

16bit, 44.kHz FLAC files (395 MB)

these lossless files can be burned to CDR, if you are into that

320 kbps mp3 files (173 MB)

highest quality lossy mp3 files possible