Country singer Lydia Loveless has a terrific new album out on Bloodshot Records called Somewhere Else, and she played a bunch of times last week in Austin, Texas, during South By Southwest. The show I caught was her performance on Friday afternoon (March 14, 2014) at Bloodshot’s unofficial SXSW party at the Yard Dog art gallery on South Congress. It was just the sort of passionate and fierce performance I expected after listening to her record many times, enhanced by the fact that her backup band really kicked ass. At the start of the show, she introduced the crowd to her tour mascot — I believe she said its name is Baby Monty. “Rescued from a Denny’s in Kansas City.”
Near the end of her set, she sarcastically remarked, “I hope you’ve enjoyed our Neko Case tribute set. … We’re ‘Little Neko Case.'” She was alluding to the critics who have said she sounds a lot like Case. I can see why people would compare them, but the thought hadn’t even crossed my mind. Loveless has a distinctive personality and singing style all her own.
Click here for an index of all my photos at SXSW 2014. And here’s my recap of the festival.