After much internal debate, I’d have to award my favorite performance of SXSW 2008 to M. Ward’s (mostly) solo set at St. David’s Church on 7th Street. With a capacity just over 100, the show was intimate, breathtaking and downright spectacular. For the first half of the 45-minute gig, M. Ward played favorites from Post-War (‘Rollercoaster’, ‘Poison Cup’) alongside unreleased tracks, expected for inclusion on his new LP due out this summer.
For the latter section of the evening, M. Ward collaborated with My Morning Jacket frontman Jim James on roughly a half dozen tunes. While I adored Matt’s duets with Conor Oberst at Bright Eyes’ Bowery show last year, I think I appreciated this particular pairing even more. All in all, a truly phenomenal end to a terrific week in Austin, Texas.
Head to M. Ward’s official site here. Enjoy a track from Transistor Radio at bottom.
MP3: M. Ward – Regeneration No. 1 [alt link]
