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Since the March release of her first full-length album,\u00a0Sometimes I Sit And Think, And Sometimes I Just Sit<\/a><\/i>, Courtney Barnett<\/a> has become pretty popular. Popular enough that on Wednesday she both headlined and sold out a show at Manhattan\u2019s Terminal 5, which has a capacity of roughly 3,000 people. The Australian rocker was supported by Torres and Speedy Ortiz, who recently released their own albums,\u00a0Sprinter<\/a><\/i> and Foil Deer<\/a>.<\/i><\/span><\/p>\n

Barnett<\/a> opened her set with a drawn-out, solo version of \u201cAnonymous Club.\u201d<\/a> Her endearing voice filled\u00a0every inch of the venue until even the drunk dudes\u00a0using\u00a0the quiet\u00a0to shout catcalls with fake Australian accents were silenced. <\/span>When she wasn\u2019t at the mic she reeled around the stage, whipping her hair and\u00a0strumming furiously.\u00a0On recordings, her drawl is relaxed, shifting from weary to playful, but on stage, the lyrics come spilling out. At key crescendos she\u2019d replace syllables\u00a0<\/span>and whole words a shout or roar, the only thing that could match the intensity on songs like her encore of \u201cHistory Eraser.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

The best part of the show (besides the music, obviously) was seeing the huge, three-tier venue completely packed for a show fronted by female guitarists. Not\u00a0guitarists in the sense that they\u2019re strumming a few chords while they sing- they\u2019re rocking strats and telecasters, pushing their instruments and voices to the limit. Sadie Dupuis (of Speedy Ortiz) forgoes any delicate melodies in favor of harsh guitar lines that leave a jagged edge as they cut through swaggering songs. Mackenzie Scott, aka Torres, accompanies herself on guitar with a steady, loping beat- her tone is serious, focused, and slightly dangerous. One of the show’s best moments was during her song \u201cStrange Hellos.\u201d It’s\u00a0cathartic enough as a recording, but she suddenly let out a chilling shriek in between choruses: \u201cI was all for being real\/ But if I don\u2019t believe then no one will.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

When I saw Courtney Barnett\u00a0a year ago, her set had energy and charisma, but seemed rushed. This time around, she brought a new intensity and confidence to her performance. Before, I\u00a0remember her ending her set by disappearing from the stage.\u00a0On Wednesday, however,\u00a0she dropped<\/span>\u00a0her guitar and walked\u00a0off as the feedback shrieked and wailed at the audience. Maybe it’s<\/span>\u00a0because she wasn\u2019t headlining then\u00a0or her fame was relatively new, but now, she seems to have settled into a more natural, comfortable position: a total rockstar.<\/span><\/p>\n

If you missed the show, check out a live version of Courtney Barnett’s “Pedestrian At Best” below!<\/p>\n