Courtney BarnetT / Zoh Amba – Megacorp Pavilion, Newport, KY
There was something fitting about Courtney Barnett ending her August 14 performance at Newport’s MegaCorp Pavilion with “Nobody Really Cares If You Don’t Go to the Party.” After a full set of guitar-driven indie rock, sharp observations, dry humor and songs that have been part of my life for more than a decade, the line landed a little differently than it does on the record.
Because I cared. I cared that I had come to the party—and judging by the enthusiastic crowd around me, I wasn’t the only one.
The evening began with an unexpected jolt from Zoh Amba. My pre-show research had prepared me for a free-jazz musician. It did not prepare me for the explosive, fuzz-drenched alternative-rock performance that came out of the speakers.
Amba’s guitar was a wall of purposeful feedback and distortion, at various points reminding me of Sonic Youth, Dinosaur Jr. and ’90s alternative rock. At one point I felt like I was listening to a grunge band fronted by Björk; later, I was listening to a country-tinged punkabilly band, which seemed particularly appropriate for the Tennessee native. Then they put down the guitar, picked up the saxophone and suddenly delivered the free-jazz performance I had been expecting. Amba and their band never seemed to settle on one genre, but that was part of what made the performance so exciting.
Amba was clearly excited to be there. They told the crowd that their grandmother had driven up from Tennessee to see them perform and that they were thrilled to be opening for Barnett, one of their musical heroes. They also said they were looking forward to staying and watching the headliner after their own set. It was hard not to enjoy their enthusiasm.
Then came Barnett.
For anyone not familiar, Courtney Barnett is an Australian singer, songwriter and guitarist whose deadpan delivery and conversational, often rambling but always poetic lyrics quickly set her apart from the indie-rock scene when she first hit the music world. Her first EP appeared in 2012, followed by The Double EP: A Sea of Split Peas in 2013, which brought her music a much wider international audience. More than a decade later, she’s built a catalog that is both unusual and remarkably durable. Her guitar playing is a big part of that identity, with a distinctive style that can sound loose and precise at the same time.
Playing as a trio with bass and drums, Barnett opened with “Stay in Your Lane” and immediately had the crowd moving. She’s a natural on stage—tall, charismatic and commanding, but also comfortable enough to let the crowd’s energy push the performance while giving plenty of energy back.
The set jumped around her catalog, which was one of the things I enjoyed most about the show. There were early favorites such as “City Looks Pretty,” “Avant Gardener,” “Small Poppies” and “History Eraser,” alongside newer material including “Need a Little Time,” “Another Beautiful Day,” “Before You Gotta Go” and “Write a List of Things to Look Forward To.” Rather than feeling like a tour behind one particular album, it felt like a tour through Barnett’s career.
One of the night’s best moments wasn’t even supposed to happen.
At some point, the drummer broke their snare. While they worked on fixing it, Barnett picked up her guitar and launched into a solo version of “History Eraser.” She invited the audience to sing along, and the crowd happily took over parts of the song. Instead of watching a technical problem bring the show to a halt, we got a spontaneous, stripped-down version of one of Barnett’s best songs. It was also a good reminder that she doesn’t need much more than a guitar and an audience to hold a room.
The crowd was another highlight. At first, I was surprised by how old the audience seemed. Then I remembered that Barnett has been making music for more than a decade, and the math started to make sense. These were people who had been listening to her for years. A lot of them appeared to know every word, and the dancing picked up considerably whenever the band hit one of the more energetic songs.
The only notable disappointment was the sound mix. Barnett’s vocals were occasionally muddled, which was frustrating because the lyrics are such an important part of what makes her music special. Her observational, poetic, narrative-based songwriting was one of the things that caught my attention when I first started listening to her 13 years ago, and there were moments when the lyrics got swallowed up by the guitars and drums.
Fortunately, the problem wasn’t enough to take away from the performance. The show was polished and professional without feeling stiff, and Barnett seemed completely at ease on stage. There was enough spontaneity to keep it from feeling like a performance being executed exactly according to plan.
The encore brought Zoh Amba back to the stage to play saxophone on “Canned Tomatoes,” bringing the night’s two very different performances together for one more song. Barnett then tore through “Pedestrian at Best” before arriving at that final song: “Nobody Really Cares If You Don’t Go to the Party.”
Except, of course, somebody did care.
The packed pavilion had spent the evening proving it. So did the people dancing, singing along and shouting back every familiar lyric.
And after 13 years of listening to Courtney Barnett, I know that I cared too.
I’m glad I came to the party.
Photo Gallery
Musician, concert photographer, writer, podcast host and founder of The Hot Mic Music Magazine.
