Do you know the feeling you get right before you're about to see a long lost friend? That's what the atmosphere was like at the sold out Bowwery ballroom, in New York City. People were swapping Kozelek stories like they personally knew him. When he first came on stage alone you forgot that he even had a band. He opened with Wop-a-din-din, a musical ode to his cat. In the middle of the song he stopped to tell the audience to stop taking pictures. "How many pictures can you take of a man just standing here?". Mark could do know wrong. When the band came out they immediately broke out into Grace Cathedral Park. And for the next two hours, the band played songs ranging from a PInk Floyd cover tune Dogs to an incredible version of John Denver's Fly Away.

What was so special was that for each song Mark would just break out into the most incredible guitar improvisations which had the crowd mezmorized. For the encores, he came back on to perform an acoustic version of a Three Legged Cat and the band came out to end the show with the huauntingly beautiful Katy's Song. Red House Painters left the stage knowing full well that although they may not be the most popular in Amercia, they have a devoted following of fans in New York City. Sorry to say though that the secret may be out, Red House Painters is back and better than ever. Can success spoil Mark Kozelek??

Allan Quiss

Live Reviews
The Music Bar