Larkin Poe

I've been wanting to see Larkin Poe (aka Rebecca and Megan Lovell with their band) for quite awhile, and took the Amtrak Surfliner from L.A. to Santa Barbara to catch 'em at S.B.'s Arlington Theatre. I wasn't disappointed; both the Lovell sisters, who began playing bluegrass as Georgia natives in their early teens, are now blues-rock guitar heroes, with Rebecca on electric guitar (she also plays acoustic guitar, mandolin, banjo and numerous other instruments) and Megan on lap steel and dobro. I was a little disappointed in the mix; the bass and keyboard sometimes seemed like an indiscriminate background wash, and even the Lovell's solos were sometimes not as upfront as they could/should have been. Still, Rebecca and Megan are impressive musicians and sing together with that chemistry you can get with siblings. Rebecca, in particular, is an excellent front person for the band, and never lets the energy level dip. Best song, in my opinion: "Bad Spell".