One would think that escaping to Louisville for a few days that I could elude the heavy snowfall that we’ve experienced all winter here in Madison. Not the case, especially on Friday night, which saw weather so bad that Bon Iver couldn’t make it past Cincinnati and was forced to cancel his performance with Black Mountain at Headliners Music Hall.

It took a little bit of heavy convincing of the hotel shuttle driver to get me to the venue, but after some gentle pleading and cash in hand I found myself within the venue ready to take in Black Mountain for the first time. We’ve made it quite clear that In The Future sits towards the top of the list of releases for the year and was anxious to see how the band would sound live. Let’s not forget these are the same guys who once warmed up the stage for Coldplay in front of some massive crowds, which reads as an unlikely live pairing. Walking out of the venue at the conclusion of their set, I think their sound will take them to the top on their own.

The set list was In The Future heavy, showcasing all of the tracks but the album’s closer. Smack in the middle, and probably the biggest highlight of the night for me was “Druganaut,” a reach back to their self-titled album that had been forgotten until the first notes came through the PA. It’s impossible to ignore the Led Zeppelin comparisons, but the vocal collaborations of Stephen McBean and Amber Webber gives the group a nod to Nico era Velvet Underground when trying to summarize their music for comparative purposes.

Their performance exceeded all expectations I had going into the show and can’t wait to catch them again next week at SXSW in Austin. Madison fans won’t want to miss the upcoming Black Mountain show at the High Noon Saloon on Sunday, March 23rd.

I met up with Cory from Backseat Sandbar, a Louisville music blog, who provided a great review and photos from the show as well.

Here’s a clip from the performance:

Black Mountain – “Tyrants” (Live from Headliners Music Hall, Louisville):

Myspace: Black Mountain
MP3: Black Mountain – “Tyrants”

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