Listen before you Go: The Lowest Pair
On Thursday, July 2, The Matthews Opera House will hand the stage over to two musicians who have spent more than a decade proving that a pair of banjos, two voices, and well-written songs can hold a room all on their own.
The Lowest Pair returns to the road this year behind Always As Young As We’ll Ever Be, their eighth album and first full studio release in six years. Produced by Tucker Martine, whose work includes artists like The Decemberists, the record expands the duo’s sound without losing the close harmonies and thoughtful songwriting that first earned them a following on the Americana and folk circuit.
Made up of Kendl Winter and Palmer T. Lee, The Lowest Pair has never been easy to fit into a single genre. Their music borrows from old-time string bands, folk traditions, bluegrass, and indie songwriting, but it never feels locked into any one style. At the center of it all are two musicians who know how to leave space for each other, letting melodies and stories do as much of the work as the instruments.
That approach has taken them from festival stages and listening rooms across the country to critical recognition, with national outlets including NPR and The Bluegrass Situation highlighting their songwriting over the years. They have built their reputation the old-fashioned way: by touring steadily and giving audiences a reason to come back the next time they’re in town.
It’s also the kind of show that fits naturally inside the Matthews Opera House.
For more than a century, the historic downtown Spearfish venue has hosted everything from community theater and regional performers to nationally touring artists. Its intimate setting makes it one of the Black Hills’ best rooms for acoustic music, where every lyric and every quiet moment can actually be heard.
Doors open at 6:30 p.m., with music beginning at 7 p.m. General admission tickets are $25, and seating is limited.
If your playlist leans toward artists like Gillian Welch, Watchhouse, or Nickel Creek, this is the kind of concert that will be right up your alley.
The Lowest Pair performs Thursday, July 2, at The Matthews Opera House in Spearfish. Tickets are available through The Matthews, and with a room this size, it’s worth picking them up before Thursday night.
