At Long Last: Birdlips!

The third time was the charm for me to finally see Charlottesville indie duo Birdlips (thank you, Les Enfants Terrible!).

I already had plans the night they played The Triple and the night they played Rumors was the night I was diagnosed with pneumonia. As it turns out, third time's the charm.

All signs were go last night for a really terrific set at The Camel and they didn't disappoint. Birdlips has a densely layered sound and Cliff and Lindsay's voices are the perfect accompaniment to each other. Clearly, they have a real fondness for the '60s (as do I) and their lyrics come across as both insightful and intimate.

Would it be too much to hope that my own writing might be described the same way some day?

The small crowd was definitely into the performance, making it a shame more people didn't make it out to hear these extraordinary musicians. Once word gets around about how amazing Birdlips' sound is, I expect to be shoulder to shoulder with a full house at future shows.

Opening was a newcomer to Richmond, singer-songwriter Ward Combs from San Diego. His set was engaging, the kind of direct and sincere music that would appeal to Iron and Wine fans. Being a big fan of the '60s, he, too, was as impressed with the band as I was.

And while I don't have any music credibility, Ward is a musician, so my advice would be to trust him and check out Birdlips for yourself.

I can just about guarantee you'll see me there.