Sun Kil Moon

It was such a privilege to get to see Sun Kil Moon (Mark Kozelek) play in LA last night. It is not often that I get to see a man my age doing what he does. He is a highly principled human being who has no tolerance for bad behavior. (Would continually call people out for acting stupid in the audience. Took away one ladies cell phone, because she kept texting and posting on social media.) It was nice to see a man who is a fully integrated human being. He could display such strong male aggression, anger, dislike but also be very empathic, loving, compassionate and kind. He saw no conflict between the two. He was able to hold space for the whole range of human emotions. Was very refreshing to see. He was also very human- not afraid to expose his insecurities in his songs and on stage. Half of the large audience seemed to leave mid-way through the 3 hour performance. Maybe they could not hold their attention for that long. People seemed terrified of the displays of aggression. I loved every minute of it. He was not looking for a fight. When he saw someone behaving like an idiot he had no hesitation to let them know that they where behaving badly. "I am trying to work here, get out. Go if you are bored," or "You have two legs to stand on. You have your health. You are at a concert. You are not being shot at or murdered right now so shut the fuck up. You have nothing to complain about. Get it together or get out of here," he would say. In our overly PC society, where people try not to make waves, most people are not used to seeing this kind of behavior. It was not sensless aggression. It was intelligent and honest. He treats people like adults and if they are behaving poorly has no fear about letting them know. Was such an honor to get to be in the presence of a person like Mark last night.

Stark, spare, and haunting, Sun Kil Moon—the latest group headed by former Red House Painters leader Mark Kozelek—can be a tense and beautiful live experience. The band, which consists of Kozelek on acoustic guitar, a keyboardist, and some very gentle, occasionally powerful drumming presents itself as one of the quietest live shows you're likely to see.That works in Sun Kil Moon's favor, though.

Kozelek's songs feel like impassioned, dusty prairie campfire songs. His rich, mellow baritone voice commands an intensity that often belies the gentle nature of the austere accompaniment. In fact, the quiet nature of a Sun Kil Moon show means that absolutely no one else in the audience wants to hear someone arguing with their girlfriend on a cell phone or talking hockey playoffs during the set (and everyone will hear you if you're that guy.) From the front of the stage,

Kozelek will banter with the audience, but if he's fighting over conversations or the shimmering glow of manic texters in the crowd, he'll call those offenders out from the stage. (“You keep talking; I'm only pouring my guts out here,” he called out during one particular show) That can feel a bit unsettling when it happens (and it does, often), but at this point its likely as much a part of the show as the lovely songs the band performs. It ups the tension and enhances the subdued and often sad songs in the Sun Kil Moon catalog.

Mark Kozelek is an artist who takes his job seriously. He cares about the performance, and he looks for the right environment for it to take place. His singing is emotional, and he needs to be in the right mood to make us feel the music. That is why he gets angry at some inappropriate behaviours that break the intimacy of the moment. I really appreciate this, and I was glad to see that the few people who dared to take their phones out to take a quick picture did it as if they were doing something illegal. It was a long and captivating concert, as long and captivating were the songs. The musicians were skilled, and although at times looked tired, they interacted with mutual understanding. They played a few new songs, of which titles I can't remember. The only bad point is, we had to wait for an hour for the concert to begin. But I'd happily wait again.

This was probably the most disappointing concert I can remember ever paying for. From the horrendous treatment of his band members on stage (i.e., stopping several songs to publicly shame and berate his accompanists), to incessant and whiny references to himself (e.g., lots of references to pain in his left heel), even passive-aggressively (pretending?) forgetting to introduce one of his band members at one point. Really, really sad... You have an amazing voice, but please get some help, Mark...or hang up the gloves.

I went to the show last night in Melbourne.

Cool theater but I found Sun Kill Moon to be a sort of creepy Vegas lounge act.

The lead guy is no doubt talented and can even be funny in an odd way despite his undertaker outfit and bad teeth.

He seems to has some obsession with waitresses and maids. Almost all of his songs were depressing or just plain boring except for the Sonny & Cher cover he did as a duet with a member of the audience.

That was the highlight of the show, I would never see them again.

LOVE LOVE LOVED this show! Great venue for Mark. I fell in love with his drummer last night. OMG. Amazing harmonies. Mark is a "young", grumpy old man with his humor. Good stuff. I didn't recognize any of the songs but I didn't care one bit. Then, adding his friend on the cello was CLUTCH!

I liked the band arrangement but he seemed a little bored performing the songs. I guess he's been touring all over the world since I last saw him in December, and it kind of shows. He's a funny guy though.

Show got cancelled at the last minute. No explanation given whatsoever. Rumor has it MK had a tantrum... So yeah, I don't think I'll go to their next show. At the very least I'll get a refund.

Fantastic show. Mark's voice was a highlight. Set list included a lot from the Jetsu Sun Kil Moon album, and it was delivered brilliantly. Great audience interaction and all round good night.

Mostly new songs as is the way with this guy. Excellent band, but maybe the concert was a bit too long. Must have written some of the songs on the way from Sheffielf to London.