On the second to last song of Old Lights’ set, which opened day two of LouFest, Beth Bombara broke a string on lead singer David Beeman’s guitar. It wasn’t the first problem the band had with their guitars throughout their well-received set — there were tuning problems as well. Those were the only issues, however, as the band from Saint Louis powered through a good hour of their original tunes, mostly from their new album, Like Strangers.
I’ve told a few people this, so I’ll say it again: Beeman has some Neil Young in him. The guitar playing is similar (“Loud Sound,” “All Noise”), and a song like “Death Came” echoes anything off Young’s Tonight’s the Night. Old Lights is quickly becoming one of my favorite bands in Saint Louis, partly because Beeman and Co. have the ability to write different kinds of songs than their local peers — the lyrical imagery is superior, and the music is enjoyably manic.
Their set at LouFest had plenty of highlights, from the opening “It Was You,” to the song we’re about to share with you below: a striking duet with Kristin Dennis called “Wilder Honey.”