Australia’s Courtney Barnett performed at The Complex on August 22, 2026. Tennessee’s Zoh Amba opened.
It’s helpful that Barnett put out new music not so long ago — Creature of Habit dropped in March, and the 10 songs on it have been played steadily ever since — but it wasn’t wholly necessary, not for me. By my count, she already had six albums out and, well, that’s plenty of songs already. But new records get bands we like to tour. It got her to pay us a visit, nevermind the long commute. It was so cozy and electric and moody all at once.
I thought it was my first time seeing Barnett play. My good Florida friend Trevor pointed out that I had seen her before, years ago, when she opened for The National. And who argues with Trevor, right? Still, there’s a huge difference between being near the top of a sweaty St. Augustine amphitheater, rows and rows and miles and miles away, and getting to see Barnett and her crew at The Complex. I was close enough to see facial contortions and accidental acrobatics. When she plays her guitar, she half stumbles around the stage, seemingly in a trance. The more erratic she got, the louder the response. Maybe that’s one reason I like her so: the willingness to fold herself into the moment and get lost inside a solo. Deeper dives make for more engaged audiences. (It’s science.)
Barnett and her band burned through 22 songs before wrapping it up, borrowing heavily from the latest, but also offering up dustier favorites like 2015’s “Nobody Really Cares If You Don’t Go to the Party,” “Canned Tomatoes (Whole)” and “Write A List of Things To Look Forward To.” Zoh Amba was a treat, too; the Big Thief vibes were strong with them. And that drum and saxophone back-and-forth freakout they offered is an image and sound that’ll remain happily seared in my memory.
Photos by Stephen Speckman. IG: @saspeckman
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