Darlingside (Song Four) was in town on Friday. They played a 40 minute set for WXPN's Free-at-Noon show at noon on Friday, and then at night they played to a sold out house at the Ardmore Music Hall. Opening for Darlingside at the Ardmore Music Hall (and briefly joining Darlingside on stage at both the Free-at-Noon show and the Ardmore show) was a group named Frances Luke Accord.
Frances Luke Accord is a Chicago-based duo, Nicholas Gunty and Brian Powers. They formed the group when they were seniors at Notre Dame. They both look like they're about 20, so their senior years at Notre Dame couldn't have been all that long ago. But their sweet harmony-filled, folky Americana-ish music is captivating. Or "dreamlike," as it says on the group's website.
Opening acts often don't get much time to showcase their stuff, and they often don't get the attention that they deserve by the crowd who bought tickets to see the headliner. But at the packed Ardmore Music Hall, the duo (playing along with a percussionist, which, I guess, made them a trio), had the full attention of the crowd. Wearing suits and ties (which, incidentally, did not make them look any older), they played softly on their acoustic guitars, an unusual looking electric mandolin and other instruments, and they beautifully harmonized to the appreciative crowd. And then the main duo came back (sans suits and ties) to play a few songs with Darlingside.
No, I don't know why they call themselves "Frances Luke Accord," but could it be a Catholic (Notre Dame grads, you know) thing? Maybe. But, whatever it means, there's a good reason that Frances Luke Accord is the hand-picked opening act for Darlingside.
So, here they are: Frances Luke Accord (with their band, which does not tour with the group) harmonizing on Song 20: Nowhere To Be Found.