“The church. You have to see something in the church!” I can’t tell you how many times I heard this at SXSW, but I was determined to make the entirely uphill trek to this most sacred of all concert venues. After all the bustle I left behind on 6th Street, entering the Central Presbyterian Church was like entering a different dimension. The lights were dimmed just enough that it almost felt like the place was lit by candlelight as a soft blue reflected off the stained glass. The pews were filled with people, heads bowed as if in prayer, but imagine that if they were in fact praying they’d all be saying the same thing: “Thank you, Lord, for this air-conditioned room with seats where we can finally get off our feet and catch our breath.”
When Tracyanne Campbell of Glasgow’s Camera Obscura humbly took her spot at the front of the room wearing a classic 50s looking dress, I feared that based off her apologetic demeanor, her voice would be unable to fill the spacious room. But as the band began the first few chords of their opening song, Campbell’s voice resonated off the tall arches or the church. Sweetly, yet strongly, she filled every nook. Combined with the organ-sounds from the keyboards, I could not imagine seeing this band in any other venue at SXSW. This was the perfect place for Scots.
They played a mix of old and new songs off their forthcoming My Maudlin Career. Camera Obscura may have been the “Sweetest Thing” playing at the church, but if you get the chance to catch them live, I would recommend taking venue into consideration. I think it might make all the difference in how their show could be received.
Camera Obscura: website | myspace
Camera Obscura playing to a packed house at The Recordbar a couple years ago was one of my all time favorite shows. Front row, sweaty, loud, and amazing.