After hearing their split EP with Ovlov, I definitely developed an interest in Little Big League. I looked up their album These Are Good People and liked it just as much as (maybe even more than) their songs on that release. Once I saw that they were playing in a nearby town, it was on!. I was anxious to hear how they sounded in a live atmosphere. But, there was a very chill feel to the venue which quieted my nerves. The lights were low and the stage was pretty small, allowing for a very welcome intimacy between the artists and their fans. There were lighting effects that complimented whichever song was being played at the moment. I especially appreciated these touches during the most intense moments in a song because it added to the music’s excitement.

 

I attended the show in Jacksonville, Florida at the Music Hall, where Foxing and The Hotelier were opening. I wasn’t familiar with either of the opening acts, but they both performed well. Finally, Little Big League hit the stage and I anticipated them performing my favorite songs from both Good People and the split. They ended up playing “Year of The Sunhouse,” a song that I knew all of the words to. I was forced to take a breather from jotting down notes to enjoy the experience and to really show off that I loved the song. I never noticed how short “Sunhouse” was until that night at the Music Hall. All I know is I was into it, and when I wanted to keep being into it, it was done! That’s my only beef with the song, I wish it went on a little longer.

 

“Lindsey” was next. The lights during this song shone pretty shades of blue and purple, which stood out because frontwoman Michelle Zauner sings, “I can see the water from my house.” The water Zauner mentions creeps up later in the song’s lyrics, too, so the atmosphere fit perfectly. Every time I hear that line, I think of some body of water that would add to a beautiful view from the window of a home. It also makes me think of the sun setting over the water and of the natural hues that are usually the same shades as the lights that were beaming on stage. The scene came together with perfect timing, which proved very necessary to accent the song’s storytelling.

 

They performed a couple songs from their upcoming album, which they will be releasing under Run for Cover Records. These yet-to-be-released tracks seemed darker than past Little Big League efforts. The vocals were also very different from earlier songs, with Zauner’s range sounding lower than how she sang on their other releases. I noticed her whole body language change as she worked through the new songs. Her behavior was more relaxed, yet she maintained an intense look in her eyes as she sang. At one point after she danced around while strumming her guitar alongside bassist Deven Craige and guitarist Kevin O’Halloran, she hopped up on the biggest drum in Ian Dykstra’s kit with her back to the crowd, and continued to play up there for a moment. It was unexpected, but everything they did only enhanced the show for a more entertaining experience. The band even brought a trumpet player on stage to play through part of the set!

 

One of the most memorable things about the show was how flawless Michelle sounded! I wonder if they do any editing to her voice in the studio, because she sounds exactly the same live. She was charming on stage with her slight humor in between songs, and gave off a likeable vibe. She and the band seemed to be very in sync on stage, like a small family. I don’t know if they even noticed it, but for a very short moment, they were all moving the exact same way. I really liked the show and I would definitely like to see them live again. The show was a little brief for my taste; I would love to see them perform a whole album one day. Until then, I have these memories and heavy anticipation for the next album.