“It still feels weird that people show up to see me,” Landon Conrath admitted to the crowd at The Rebel Lounge in Phoenix on Monday night. He says he’s just a guy who’s usually hanging out with his cat, and he’s not used to performing for 100+ people every night. But that’s part of his charm: the unrehearsed stories told to stall for time, the apology for saying “thank you guys for coming” so many times, and the crouching on stage to pretend like the live band exited and then returned for an encore. It’s DIY in the very best way, and the fans were just happy to be there.
This was Conrath’s first gig in Phoenix as a paid musician — last time he was in the Valley, he was 16 and on summer vacation, and the band he toured with “hotboxed” the house show. Needless to say, this was a far better experience for everyone. We got air conditioning, and we got the live debut of “Pavement,” which was originally called “Song 7” and released this past Friday.
The joy in the room was infectious, and we’re already looking forward to the next Landon Conrath show. (See you there October 28th, if he’s to be believed!)
