Concert Review: Searows In-Store Performance, Rough Trade Below, Manhattan, NY

There’s a peace that occurs in the space between every song Alec Duckart plays. It’s not the dead, empty, painstaking air that infiltrates the typical silence as an artist tunes their guitar or gets a sip of water but instead an understanding that something very special is happening underneath Rockefeller Center. The artist known as Searows takes in these magical moments at Rough Trade Below, and you can feel this was something he had worked his entire life for, with a radiating glow from the smiles in the massive audience acting as a visible fruit of the labor.

Searows, an Oregon-based folk singer-songwriter, had quite a rise thanks to the virality of “House Song” and “Keep The Rain.” It’s been about four years since his last proper record, and on January 23rd, the world finally got to hear what Duckart had been crafting for so long in the form of Death In The Business Of Whaling, introducing newer textures of drone and ambience in Duckart’s signature songwriting style. In celebration of the record’s release, Searows put together a few album signings during the week of its release in cities such as New York and Oregon, with a performance in the former city added the day before the album came out due to exceptional demand.

Standing in the warmth of the ceiling lights, Searows compiled a half-hour’s worth of tracks from Death In The Business of Whaling, including singles such as “Dirt” and the recently released “In Violet.” The majority of the set was dedicated to unreleased material such as “Belly Of The Whale” and album closer “Geese,” which gave fans a sneak peek into what they would be delving into the following day. There’s a layer of vulnerability when stripping back pieces of already stripped back art, especially with a selection of songs most people don’t know yet. However, it feels like Death In The Business Of Whaling is the beginning of a new chapter for Searows, and it’s one he trusts his fans will venture into with open arms. Judging from the joy in the audience after hearing these songs, it looks like he put his faith in the right people.

It’s inspiring to see artists with the magnitude of Searows meeting fans and creating these memories. Signings have always been an important connection between the artist and the fan, and in an age where the digitization of music remains supreme, the tangible qualities of the art become even more vital. There’s a piece of that meeting which, combined with the inherent emotive qualities of Searows’ music, creates something real to cherish. 

The performance felt like a practice round for Searows’ upcoming Death In The Business Of Whaling tour in the spring, and if it’s anything like the beautiful display from Rough Trade Below, it’s going to be a show to remember. You can get tickets for the shows here, as well as listen to Death In The Business Of Whaling here.