Feeble Little Horse Showcases Their Expanding Sound to a Packed Crowd in Austin
Pittsburgh’s feeble little horse performed to a nearly sold-out crowd in Austin at the downtown Mohawk Outside stage on Tuesday, July 21. The band is touring North America and Europe through December to promote their third full-length album, bitknot.
bitknot was released at the end of May to widespread acclaim, with reviewers praising their emerging sound as a more complex and unpredictable project that retains elements of the tween bedroom pop sounds that popularized the band. The songs are all written, arranged, produced, and recorded by band members Lydia Slocum (lead vocals and bass), Sebastian Kinsler (guitar and production), and Jake Kelley (drums) in their homes, which preserves that DIY laptop feel.
The Mohawk’s outdoor stage is an open-air courtyard with a floor-level pit and multi-tiered balcony and rooftop viewing areas. Typically, if you arrive before the opener takes the stage, you will find people casually chatting and waiting, with plenty of space to find a good vantage spot.
FEEBLE LITTLE HORSE
This was not the case for feeble little horse; the pit and lower tiers were already packed with fans. The crowd lining the stage was young and dedicated, proudly explaining that they had been fans of the band since their first album. But looking around the venue, as the upper tiers filled up, you could see that the hype around bitknot attracted a diverse crowd of fans.
While many people swear off Summer outdoor shows, many fans still show up and deal with the heat. When the band took the stage, singer Lydia Slocum joked about the temperature, saying she wouldn’t come out in 100-degree heat to see her own band.
They opened the set with their most popular song “Freaks” and moved through a mix of old and new songs. feeble little horse songs are short and direct; they don’t linger, and there is no filler. They barrel through a song, and then move to the next. They showcased their various sounds in quick succession: shoegaze, noise pop, 90’s indie — all punctuated by intentional distortion and off-kilter beats. Holding it all together was Lydia’s dreamy vocals, gliding between songs while occasionally breaking into explosive screams.
feeble little horse continues their multi-month tour across North America, Europe, and the UK . If you like modern indie bands like Wednesday or Water From Your Eyes, or 90’s indie acts like Liz Phair, Veruca Salt, or the Breeders, give their album a listen and catch them live when they visit your city!
