DH and I recently took a road trip to see Langhorne Slim at a cool little venue on Elizabeth Street in Charlotte, NC. It was our first time at The Visulite, which is a laid back music spot with friendly staff and good beer, right on the outskirts of downtown Charlotte. This was also our first time seeing Langhorne perform in such an intimate setting. We saw him open for The Avett Brothers in Asheville and Atlanta and were blown away by his energy and “take it as it comes” attitude, so we were eager to see him up close and personal (and only for $10…what a deal!). One fo the most obvious qualities about the show was that his connection to the audience was very organic, not fake or forced. At different times in his set, Langhorne made his way onto the floor, mingled with the audience, wrapped his arm around a swooning high school girl and serenaded her, and playfully answered cat-calls from his fans. In between songs one of his fans yelled out from the bar, “Langhorne, you melt my face off!”. Langhorne replied with a smile, “Wait…what did I do to your face? Are you hurt or something?” The crowd erupted with laughter, and you could tell that Langhorne was having as much fun as we were. He never lost the attention of the audience, who were waiting with baited breath to hear the next quirky remark out of his mouth. He was accompanied on stage by a stand-up bassist, drummer, and guitar/banjo player, all members of The Law. Collectively, their sound was crisp and the mixed sweet and raspy quality of Slim’s voice burst through the speakers as he sang to us about love and life.
His set included: “Be Set Free”, “Worries”, “Restless”, “Sometimes”, “Rebel Side of Heaven”, “Diamonds and Gold”, “Colette”, “Tipping Point”, “Hummingbird”, “Past Lives”, “I Love You but Goodbye”, “In the Midnight”, “And if it’s True”, “Mary”, and “Cinderella” (great audience participation!) among many others. It was obvious by the packed house on a Monday night that Langhorne has a loyal following in NC, no doubt augmented by his tie to the Avetts, whose drummer even showed up that night to show his support. Slim has a magnetism about him that draws people in and makes them listen. He is approachable and just wants to be a part of the experience along with the audience. Though he hasn’t reached the level of fame that would keep him from coming out after shows to talk to his fans, that time may be quickly approaching as more and more people figure out what he is all about. Get out and see him if he’s in your area. You wont be disappointed.
Here are a few of my shots from the show:
Evolution of a Fan 