Show Review: The Milk Carton Kids @ Berklee Performance Center 9/8 (Kacy & Clayton Support)

The night kicked out with Joey Ryan’s introduction of Kacy & Clayton. A Milk Carton Kids show is equal parts beautiful harmonies and riotous banter as Ryan and Pattengale take small jabs at one another and exchange witty remarks, the intro was no different as Joey exclaimed the group was from Saskatchewan, to which a voice offstage disagreed and Joey claimed his research methods must be flawed as that’s what their MySpace page confirmed.

Kacy Anderson and Clayton Linthicum kicked into their set and what unfolded over the next 40 or so minutes was really something special. Anderson’s vocals has a timeless quality to them, it harkens back to an intertwining of British Folk meets Laurel Canyon. Simple, haunting, and beautiful. She effortlessy sang over Clayton’s incredible and unique fingerstyle guitar. The boy can play that thing like not many folks. One of the most interesting and engaging styles of guitar I have seen in a long, long time. Fingers flying across the frets and playing all sorts of modulated chords that I couldn’t even quite wrap my head around…but it was perfect. The banter between the two rivaled hat of Ryan and Pattengale. Dry humor, stories, and the harmonies were divine. They ended the set with a broken string (D I believe), to which Kacy cried out “why does this always happen” and despite Linthicum’s efforts to play on two strings, the result was “too power chord-like” and they concluded the tune acapella…I don’t think anyone complained about that. Again, those harmonies. The only wish I have from their set that I didn’t get was for Clayton to lead a tune or two, I would have love to hear his voice out in the open. I will be digging deep into the music of these two heavily in the immediate future, a definite recommendation for you all to do the same.

I don’t believe that there is a better group or band or duo or artist that has come out over the time that I have been listening to music than The Milk Carton Kids. For me, personally, they check every single box that I could put on a page. I could end it there, but I won’t. While it’s not rock band sound, the two of them are able to produce a sonic quality that is full, and big when it needs to be, but soft, delicate and gorgeous all at once. Their harmonies are unrivaled, absolute perfection. Kenneth Pattengale’s guitar playing sits in a league all of its own. I used to draw comparisons to Dave Rawlings, but after last evening I came to the realization that this guy is god-like in his playing style and abilities and needs no comparison but to himself.

The band played old favorites, some of the best tunes from the new record, and even ended the encore with a Pink Floyd cover. These are seasoned veterans of the stage. Each and every note is purposeful, even the banter when it goes in what Kenneth calls “unchartered territory” is perfect…Ryan comparing Pattengale’s songs to how Donald Trump lives his life and Pattengale claiming that Ryan is raising a child that may not be his own for instance. It all just falls into place. This is what you should get when you go to a show. Performers who are talented, pen absolutely brilliant and beautiful songs and engage the audience with stories and off the cuff banter.

I hope they come back soon, because this is one of the few bands that I will pay whatever ticket cost each and every time that they come through town. Do the same.