Live at Schuba's Tavern

<h2>by Joslyn Layne</h2>

This live recording s a December 2000 show in Chicago during which the Handsome Family entertain, performing a good mix of material, drawing songs from all of their albums to date. The sound is decent and fans will definitely enjoy the teasing banter -- nine of the 25 tracks -- between

Brett

and

Rennie Sparks

and the random personal details that get revealed (the magic balls story is hilarious). Of the 14 songs, half are from

Through the Trees

, including the chokingly sad "So Much Wine," "Down in the Ground," the only song in the band's repertoire in which

Rennie

sings lead (albeit in an affected, old-lady-on-the-porch, nasally tone), the darkly incisive "Weightless Again," and another fan favorite, "The Woman Downstairs," which closes the show.

Throughout the set are also heard a few songs each from

In the Air

and

Milk and Scissors

("Winnebago Skeletons" falls apart, but "Amelia Earhart Vs. the Dancing Bear" and "Drunk By Noon" go well), two from

Odessa

("Arlene" and "Moving Furniture Around"), and one that would end up on

Twilight

("I Know You Are There," which

Brett

effectively delivers with a crooner's tremolo). While not the place for newcomers to start, Live at Schuba's Tavern is a good listen.