The Handsome Family at Spaceland, Los Angeles. July 25th, 2009

“Come for the music, stay for the awkward jokes…” should have been the premise of this show. The opening act, a man named Daniel Knox, was a Richard Swift knockoff that could not pull off the avant-garde moniker; he was much too unsettled for me to watch. He stressed me out, so I chose to hang out in the smoking lounge during his performance. The Handsome Family, on the other hand, was wonderful. I am always up for a KCRW crowd, and the music of Brett and Rennie Sparks is as real as their obvious love for each other. Her jokes kind of kill it, but once shuts up and they start singing, their voices and imagery-filled lyrics never fail to mesmerize adoring fans. Darling, my darling (Honey Moon, 2009), the Handsome show was brilliant and memorable.