March 27th, 2009 
James Shotwell SxSW 2009
Mohawk Bar
Kevin Devine Solo
12:15 pm
Starting at a seemingly early 12:15 pm, site favorite Kevin Devine took a crowd and swept them in during his first show of a three show day (this one being solo).
Kevin surprising opened with the kickoff to his yet to be released, Brother’s Blood. That was followed with a slower, reworked acoustic, “I Could Be With Anyone” which really set the tone heavy on the new record. However, due to an offaly early leak of the record, the crowd was participating more than most would probably wager. Kevin, granted a near silent audience, wondered the stage like a man in his own world with the mic picking up even his distant “woahs.” The aforementioned silence was not the usual judgmental silence so many bands at SxSW encounter, but sheer awe at the power of this one man to captivate a room.
No setlist to be found, Kevin seemed to move with the mood from song to song. There was a sly grin that could be seen on his face as he worked through the set, almost as if he knew every notes and strum were coming across beautifully – he’d found the groove and wasn’t about to step out. The floorboards on the poorly constructed stage creaked as he moved along and it added to the atmosphere in the form of an angelic cadence.
There was a moment when Kevin plugged fmylife.com as a favorite past time of his and then used this phrase and reference to lead, almost ironically into a haunting rendition of, “Another Bag of Bones.” This lead into a bit of back catalog action with the seemingly Simon and Garfunkel influenced, “Brooklyn Boy.”
The seven song set ended on a somber in terms of music with, “You’ll Only End Up Joining Them”, even Kevin’s voice can only lift the subject matter so much. This was then followed by the even more dark and obviously depressing, “Brother’s Blood.” However, a flawless set could only be greeted by what had now grown to a quite packed room with both cheers and applause. Never one to take himself too seriously, Kevin thanked everyone for their presence and applause and informed us of his other shows, but never seemed to be forcing desire for them to be there. It was refreshing t see such a down to Earth musician, especially after all his years in the industry.
People may go their lives without seeing a set as stunning as this one which took place just after noon on a Wed. In March. There is no reason Kevin should be playing to this sparse crowd. His power radiates and if you have a chance, you must attend.
*Written By: James Shotwell*
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