It’s been awhile since Caitlin Rose has graced a New York City stage, but she did just that, albeit a bit nervously last Thursday at Mercury Lounge with Daniel Romano. Though Romano and did double duty as Rose’s backing band, the two artists’ performances could not have been more contrasted. Romano opened the show with brazen and confident, with almost no banter between songs. He and his band moved smoothly through the loud, rocking psychedelic gems off his most recent record Mosey and last year’s If I’ve Only One Time Askin’.
Romano was bringing serious electric-Dylan vibes to Mercury Lounge, and though he barely cracks a smile on stage, it’s clear he’s having a blast playing guitar. The album cover for Mosey even seems to be a kind of throwback tribute to Dylan’s own Blonde on Blonde, with Romano’s wild, untamed hair and dead-on stare. His look is rock and roll, though his sound leans country, with a howl that is hypnotic and appealingly nasal and twangy, reminiscent of fellow Canadian psych-rockers The Sadies. Mosey’s soaring and trippy pop-country sound translated to moure loud, guitar rock on stage, with a touch of pedal steel that made it impossibly modern and groovy. Although his set came first, it was evident from the density of the crowd that he was who many came to see.
Still, Rose drew some rabid fans who knew every word to every song, except a few new ones and covers which we can only hope will make their way onto a new record sometime soon. Rose’s last studio album, 2013’s The Stand-In, was critically beloved, and her performances of its songs were top-notch. Her voice is as golden and smooth as ever, with a power that sneaks up on you. Amongst familiar tunes like “Only a Clown”, “Shanghai Cigarettes”, “Sinful Wishing Well” and more, were her covers of the Felice Brothers’ “Dallas” (from The Stand-In) and a truly stunning, memorable version of Magnolia Electric Co.’s “Nashville Moon”, a song perfectly suited to Rose’s lovely melancholic tone. Along with a few new tunes, including the standout “Blameless” (unclear if that is the official title), a breakup song I’d kill to hear again and again, Rose put on a far better show than she gave herself credit for.
