Photo by Gabe KravitzProvidence, Rhode Island’s The Low Anthem, wrapped up a two night Canadian stint with their first ever Montreal headlining gig at the Gesu theatre last Monday.

The intimate show, opened by Montreal natives the Barr Brothers of The Slip recognition, began with three selections from the album that first garnered The Low Anthem widespread recognition, Oh My God Charlie Darwin. With the stage lights just barely dim, the band, led by Ben Knox Miller on acoustic guitar complemented by Jeff Prystowsky, Jocie Adams, and Mat Davidson, descended into a chilling renditions of “To the Ghosts Who Write History Books” and “Ticket Taker.” Knox Miller than displayed his vocal range, striking high pitched vocals on the single, “Charlie Darwin.”

Next up was a slow paced version of Rev. Gary Davis’ “Sally Where’d You Get Your Liquor From?” that was less ragtime blues and tended more toward indie folk. The song also allowed the audience its first opportunity for Prystowsky to move behind the drum kit.

The Low Anthem then assembled around a single microphone at center stage for an acoustic rendition of “Ghost Woman Blues,” a formation they would later return to for a set closing “Dreams Can Chase You Down.”

With a rare opportunity for a single band member to take time in the spotlight, Prystowsky showed off his solo chops on upright bass, utilizing both percussive techniques and resounding bass note strikes, before the other members of band re-emerged for its longest offering of the evening, a nine minute version of Blind Willie McTell’s “Don’t Let Nobody Turn You ‘Round.”

While each musician commands a primary instrument, the group’s versatility has reaped major benefits over the years. Each member rotated through a selection of drums, clarinet, fun machine, zither, and pump organ–and it would be an unreadable exercise in futility to attempt to completely recall who played what instrument on each song.

And as if The Low Anthem had not shown how resourceful they are on stage, for “This God Damn House,” a song written by former band member Dan Lefkowitz as a parting shot to his ex-band mates, Knox-Miller instructed those in attendance to use their cellular telephones and call their neighbor. To the pleasure of the audience, the signals produced a harrowing sound like digital crickets creeping through the rafters of an old cathedral.

Throughout the show, The Low Anthem showed should that if the band wanted to, they could be the finest bar band you ever stumbled across walking down the main drag of the city. Blues driven tunes from the soul and “a few songs about the perils of alcohol” will do that. Instead, and to the credit of their versatility, at times The Low Anthem commanded the small theatre with subtle and chilling tunes, songs the audience would have struggled to stomp their feet to had it not been seated.

An energetic version of the Tom Waits road anthem “Home I’ll Never Be” allowed Jocie Adams to break out of her shell on electric bass, before segueing into “Cigarettes, Whiskey, and Wild, Wild, Women,” a Jim Croce standard.

To show its appreciation, the band treated the crowed to an encore double double, first with “To Ohio” and “Maybe So.” Then, for its second return, the band concluded the show with a re-arranged version of “The Horizon is a Beltway” and another acoustic interpretation of Lucinda Williams’ “Jackson.”