“Metal Titans” - ticket girl reads the company with lowered voice and blinks at me smiling. It is a soul/blues night. Some bands, while not being part of the metal genre, always attract heavy audience, and so today we are enjoying Larkin Poe. Sounds soft, but could it actually be heavy?  

Ironically, the advantage of playing in a non-heavy band is a possibility to sound monstrously powerful, since there is no severe competition with overcompressed instruments used at hyperspeeds.  

Son Little, trio led by brilliant Aaron Earl Livingston, instantly dilates our pupils as the first kick drum hit is made supporting Aaron’s first chords. I only manage to say “ffuuuuuuuuu”, and some random fellow around finishes the sound while having an equally surprised face. Steve McKie gets my attention for the whole show - in his hands a tiny Beatles-sized drumkit gives all kinds of sounds - accents, ghost notes, and so much supporting and improving the tunes, I cannot recall sexier playing.  

It is the first time for the band to play in Oslo. It is a cold season, so Aaron looks like Hancock with his sun glasses and a hat. I guess these alien sunglasses (that resemble swimming glasses) help to create a feeling of real eye contact as Aaron addresses the audience with his hoarse voice.  

DeShawn “Dvibes” Alexander does keys and bass (also with keys?). This trio sounds like a bigger band, and I particularly enjoy how natural lows of the bass support the groove while higher keys give atmosphere.   

The frontman himself is very comfortable with guitar. What I like most in music in general - is when it transports you to a different place and time. In some songs we all are in the early morning in a whiskey saloon, in others - in a chillout area of a very expensive cocktail bar.  

At some point Son Little makes a mistake by inviting the audience to sing. No one here can compete with Aaron’s voice (that tone!!), and the hall destroys the tune by doing “halleluja” backing vocals. Uff, it is a shame, the phenomenon is called “The curse of knowledge”, - when the master assumes the beginner already can do some basics.  

Setlist is coming to an end, a fuzzy, very cool song is played, Steve does a killer drum solo. Then the “song about drinking” and it is the end. I hope Oslo has not scared Son Little with cold and they will be back.  

Larkin Poe look like two girls in their twenties. Somewhere in the middle of a show they mention that the band is fifteen years old, which makes me wonder if they started a career the same age as Michael Jackson. Already on my way from the venue I am checking their pictures, where they look much older, but onstage it is two very young girls on fire!  

Plants in jars onstage and a huge “carpet” flower backdrop, the intro is cuts from various songs (I recognize Joe Perry and some other classics) with lyrics about flowers. Remember what I wrote above? We are travelling to the sixties.  

Rebecca Lovell sings like a reincarnation of Janis Joplin, but also masters guitar and makes it sound both tight and very heavy. Her sister Megan Lovell plays leads on a lap steel guitar (with fingers, no pick), supports with backing vocals - and these two are a great combo, very impressive relaxed young blues rock. Megan is on fire with slider solos - not looking at her guitar at all. The supporting band is behind and completes the sound.  

What I also like is that during the first seven songs the band is getting heavier and heavier. Insane charisma. Then it changes for the acoustic part with four bluegrass songs, and they are deep, sad and personal.  

This was a proper trip to America in the sixties. Not being a frequent listener of such records myself, I wanted it to continue on and on, - this is a great personal discovery. What’s more is that Rebecca is a mom of an 11-week old baby, who is with them on a tour. Love the girls, they are on fire!