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Courtney Barnett played MHOW, Surf Lodge & Bowery Ballroom (pics & video from Bowery)

photos by Amanda Hatfield

Courtney Barnett @ Bowery Ballroom 6/17/2014
Courtney Barnett

What strikes me about Courtney Barnett is how laidback she is. As we sit in a Shoreditch beer garden, she speaks of recently “doing a little TV show thing in New York “. That “little” show was The Tonight Show. “There were people running around, telling me I need to go to makeup. I was like ‘I don’t ever wear makeup, I’d look weird if I suddenly put it on!'” She laughs. “That was pretty overwhelming. Of course it’s exciting but it’s like this other world.”

The show was part of Barnett’s new life as a successful musician. The 26-year-old singer-songwriter from Melbourne has earned international accolades, and her fans include Glastonbury organiser Emily Eavis, who has called Barnett “brilliant” and expressed excitement for her slot at Glastonbury this year.

Barnett’s debut album, which took a week and a half to record (“I made half of it in my bedroom and the other half in a studio round the corner from my house”) is out at the end of the year, and the band are now on a three-month tour. So how does she like London? “It’s similar to Melbourne, a bit cold and slightly miserable, so people turn to pubs, gigs, art and theatre.” – [The Guardian]

Courtney Barnett‘s popularity is on a steady rise, which should be no surprise to anyone who’s caught the charming Australian musician live. While her witty, stream-of-consciousness lyrics hit you first on record, her guitar chops become apparent on stage where she really lets her rock side out (all without using a guitar pick, too). Still sailing on her Sea Of Split Peas double EP reissue, she’s upped her stage set for this tour, which hit the NYC area at MHOW for Northside on Saturday (6/14), Montauk’s The Surf Lodge on Sunday (6/15), and Bowery Ballroom on Tuesday (6/17). Black-and-white hand-drawn animations were projected behind the band — the same ones seen in her “Anonymous Club” video — though we might argue she doesn’t need such things to hold our attention. We caught last night’s Bowery show with opener Benjamin Booker and pictures from that are in this post.

Courtney’s debut album will be out later this year, and her current tour now heads for the West Coast. More pics and a couple videos from Bowery Ballroom, below….

Benjamin Booker

Benjamin Booker

Benjamin Booker

Benjamin Booker

Benjamin Booker

Benjamin Booker

Benjamin Booker

Benjamin Booker

Benjamin Booker

Benjamin Booker

Benjamin Booker

Benjamin Booker

Benjamin Booker

Benjamin Booker

Benjamin Booker

Courtney Barnett

Courtney Barnett

Courtney Barnett

Courtney Barnett

Courtney Barnett

Courtney Barnett

Courtney Barnett

Courtney Barnett

Courtney Barnett

Courtney Barnett

Courtney Barnett

Courtney Barnett

Courtney Barnett

Courtney Barnett

Courtney Barnett

Courtney Barnett

Courtney Barnett

Courtney Barnett

Courtney Barnett – Avant Gardener @ The Bowery Ballroom 6/17/2014

Courtney Barnett – History Eraser @ The Bowery Ballroom 6/17/2014