Last night was, in a word, amazing. Simply amazing. One of those experiences that rejuvenates your soul and makes the daily grind seem almost tolerable. My previous encounter with this feeling came a year ago when I saw Menomena at the Independent (and probably also this past winter while snowboarding).

Last night Sera Cahoone and Grand Archives played at Slim’s in San Francisco and it was easily one of the best concerts I’ve seen. Both acts were exceptional. Sera opened the show with a set that couldn’t have been more perfect. Highlights included “Only As the Day Is Long,” “Baker Lake,” “Happy When I’m Gone,” “Couch Song,” and an incredible version of “You’re Not Broken.” Her vocals were spot-on and her backing band equally impressive (especially the guy on lap steel).

Following her set, she sat at the merch table and chatted with fans. I asked her to sign my copy of Only As the Day Is Long and happily purchased a t-shirt from her. I hope she starts headlining shows in the future. She is a phenomenal musician and songwriter.

It took me a little while to come down from my Cahoone-induced high, but when I did, I found myself in the middle of the Grand Archives’ set. I honestly would’ve been happy if they played “Sleepdriving” and nothing else, but I actually enjoyed some of their other songs more, especially “Torn Blue Foam Couch,” “George Kaminski,” and a raucous version of “Crime Window.” The true highlight, however, was a duet version of “Louis Riel” featuring Sera Cahoone and Mat Brooke.

The show ended around 11:30pm but I wanted more. Unfortunately, this was the last stop of their tour, so I can’t tell you to go see them for yourself. Which is a true shame because they all looked like they were having a great time playing together. Instead of catching them live, I recommend reading my previous posts (here and here), downloading the songs below, and purchasing their albums if you enjoy. And then hope they decide to tour together again in the future.

[mp3] Sera Cahoone :: Only As the Day Is Long
[mp3] Sera Cahoone :: Happy When I’m Gone
[mp3] Grand Archives :: Sleepdriving
[mp3] Grand Archives :: Torn Blue Foam Couch