SHOWS // Springtime Carnivore @ Bootleg Theater

Photos by Colleen Callahan // Words by Misha Scott
As my friend and I waited for Springtime Carnivore‘s set to start at The Bootleg Saturday night, we reflected on their evocative name. “I just imagine, like, a T-Rex frolicking in a field of daisies,” she mused. Turns out, the name is quite apt; their live show is a fiercely good time – the kind with a sweet smile and sharp fangs.

Frontwoman Greta Morgan began the evening with a few heartfelt words about how nice it was to be home. Saturday’s Silver Lake show marked the close of Springtime Carnivore’s month-long tour with La Sera, and the mood in the theater was very much that of a homecoming.
The set began with “Midnight Room,” the first cut from the band’s newest record (also titled Midnight Room) before moving into the danceable “Sun Goes Black”, one of my favorite tracks from their first album. Though Morgan is something of a reserved frontwoman, her warm and gracious personality came out when a fan yelled out between songs how delighted they were to be at the show.

Morgan seemed a little taken aback. “I’m sorry, did you say you’re delighted?” She laughed. “We’re delighted to be here. Or, well, no. ‘Delighted’ is like a free sandwich. This is a roller-coaster of fun.” With that, she ramped things up behind the keyboard with ’80s shaker “Under The Spell.”

A highlight of the ride came when Springtime Carnivore brought La Sera singer / bassist Katy Goodman onstage for two duets from their collaborative covers album, Take It, It’s Yours, released earlier this year. The two friends have a lovely chemistry onstage, bringing together Goodman’s whimsical take on alt-country and Morgan’s warm pop sensibilities over some truly unexpected punk-rock classics. The Buzzcocks’ high-energy “Ever Fallen In Love” was transformed into a wistful ballad, and The Replacements’ “Bastards Of Young” shimmered gently under an imagined sparkle of the disco ball that The Bootleg really ought to have installed (seriously guys, get on that though).

All too soon, the set came to a close with “Face In The Moon” and the unbelievably catchy “Name On A Matchbook.” Springtime Carnivore is a treat for all seasons, one that will almost certainly leave you hungry for more.
For fans of: Rilo Kiley, Tennis, Jenny Lewis

Full Gallery // Photos By Colleen Callahan