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People often find a home in music, whether it’s a familiar melody providing a sense of routine during a morning shower or a pinpoint lyric hitting the spot after a breakup. It’s not nearly as often, though, that people can find a home in a performance — to really feel the same amount of comfort and familiarity at a concert that they would listening to a playlist they’d had on repeat.
And yet, on April 19 at the Paradise Rock Club, that’s exactly what Penny & Sparrow did — they created a home at their show.
College roommates Andy Baxter and Kyle Jankhe are all that comprise Austin-made Penny & Sparrow, with Jankhe’s acoustic guitar providing a surprisingly full backing to what can only be described as angelic vocals from Baxter. The slight char in his voice complements the airy delivery in a magical way, bringing an outsized emotional depth to even the most mundane melody.
Right from the opening track, “Jeopardy,” it was clear that Saturday night would be an emotional one for all involved, with Baxter gracing those lucky enough to listen with lyrics like “I know you / In a way I know nothing else.” And certainly, this was representative of most of the songs they played, with hard-hitting lyrics, a soft guitar backing, and simple, constant harmonies emanating from the stage.
What was more unexpected, though, was what the show was like in between songs, and for that there’s only one accurate descriptor: It was funny. It was almost a comedy night more than anything — the duo probably spent less time singing than they did just messing around with the audience.
It was immediately obvious that Baxter and Jankhe had incredible chemistry both with themselves and with the crowd, a strength that speaks to their years of touring experience. Their third song, “O-Ren Ishii,” was performed without amplification to impressive effect, and they slowly crossed the stage so everyone could experience what it was like to listen to them when they were still touring people’s living rooms.
And somehow, on that warm Saturday night, that’s exactly what the 900-person Paradise Rock Club felt like: a living room. It was undeniably cozy to laugh as Baxter poked fun at all the guys only there for their new girlfriends — the so-called “new dick” of the room — only to immediately pivot to hearing a beautiful rendition of “Don’t Wanna Be Without You” that ended in a heavenly audience chorus.
One of the highlights of the night was when Jankhe took over lead vocals for “Cheers to Good Friends,” a hauntingly beautiful tune that saw both of their lilting falsettos resting over the sparsest of guitar chords in a song detailing the difficulties that lie in the space between friendship, love, and lust. It was emblematic of just how much Penny & Sparrow managed to connect with each other, and, as a result, with the crowd.
The undoubtedly long 17-song set did begin to blend together a little by the end. Even with opener Field Guide joining a few songs on electric guitar, the fact of the matter was that with two people and most songs relying just on acoustic guitar, there’s only so much variation that can happen. Furthermore, on “Eloise” in the encore, Baxter whipped out some high notes that would have been heavily appreciated had they showed up more throughout the show, but their scarcity was explained by the notes being more of an effort for him.
Overall, for someone looking for a loud, dancey vibe on a Saturday night, this show probably would have disappointed. But what it lacked in musical energy it made up for in the human equivalent — an overload of connection and a gluttony of feeling wrapped up in the guise of two dudes with one guitar playing music that struck directly to the heart.
—Staff writer Alessandro M. M. Drake can be reached at alessandro.drake@thecrimson.com.
