Having missed out on seeing Joey Ryan and Kenneth Pattengale AKA The Milk Carton Kids twice last year (here and in the US), I immediately jumped at the opportunity this time around. The Athenaeum Theatre is an amazing old theatre, rich in historical ambience and beautiful acoustics, which made it the perfect setting for the Californian duo to showcase tunes from their latest record, Monterey.
After taking my seat, the lights dimmed and Ryan appeared on stage to introduce the first act of the night, Timothy James Bowen. The stage was set out with just one condenser microphone and over the course of the night, neither Bowen nor The Milk Carton Kids amplified their instruments. Playing tunes from his latest EP Steel and Wood – released especially for this tour – Bowen is an astounding talent and it can’t be long before he seriously hits the big time. Hand-picked by TMCK, highlights of his set included Love is Loving You, After Wintertime, and Whatever Makes You Happy.
After a brief intermission, allowing the audience to marvel at the homemade goods Bowen had created, the main event finally commenced. As soon as they hit the stage, Ryan and Pattengale had the room in the palm of their hands. It’s quite easy to accept the comparisons between this duo and the likes of Simon & Garfunkel and The Everly Brothers.
That said, it took a couple of songs for Ryan to warm up to talk to the crowd, and initially it seemed like Pattengale was shying away from the microphone. However, after some anecdotes from their show in Sydney, the duo revealed the two most important rules of on-stage etiquette. Firstly, don’t introduce the song title, and secondly, don’t give any song explanations. But they proceeded to break both of these rules, which led into the title track of their latest record. It was within this song that the pair’s distinctive playing styles really became apparent. Ryan plays an almost simplistic rhythm part similar to that of a bass guitar, while Pattengale unleashes little lead licks reminiscent of classical guitar playing.
Honey Honey was next, and after Pattengale’s lead solo, the audience erupted into appreciative round of applause. Other set highlights included Heaven, Snake Eyes, New York and the slower, more peaceful Michigan.
BY TEX MILLER
Loved: Sweet vocal harmonies and killer songs.
Hated: That the concert had to end.
Drank: Ice cold Coopers.
