Live Review: Calexico, Depedro, Quarry Mountain Dead Rats, Tiny Ruins

Calexico comes with an entourage. If value for money is a consideration, this was the gig to go to, with three tight, high-quality support acts before headliner Calexico took their place under the lights. It made for a very long gig, but worth it for those with the stamina to make it to encore.

The Astor often starts off early and this was no exception. Doors were open at 7.30pm with New Zealand's Tiny Ruins on not long after, giving us a haunting, delicate and warm introduction to the evening. Hollie Fullbrook was to return much later in the evening to help Calexico's Joey Burns by singing the female vocals for Slowness. This mood shifted pretty quickly after the Quarry Mountain Dead Rats took to the stage and lined up with their string instruments all in a row. This is bluegrass the way it should be; the Victorian five-piece played a blisteringly fast, incredibly tight set that even had people moving in the seated section.

Which brings us to DePedro, who entered to a thoroughly warmed audience ready for the headliners. This was fortunate, seeing as the Spanish muso is currently a Calexico member and was soon joined onstage by several members of the band early on in his set. DePedro is the stage name for Jairo Zavala and, under the heat of the spotlight, Zavala has the playful way with audiences that an experienced kindergarten teacher has with children. He had people joining in almost immediately.

And then, finally, came the headliners. Calexico is a musician's band: led by Joey Burns and John Convertino, the group is a selection of incredibly accomplished musicians who rely on the quality of their music rather than falling prey to devices. Onstage, they swapped instruments like playing cards, with some members moving comfortably between the trumpet, vibraphone, guitar and keyboard. The Astor's impeccable acoustics handled the complexities of the music with ease while the beauty of the venue earned a mention from Burns.

A portion of the set came from Calexico's 2012 album Algiers, but songs from the back catalogue also made a strong appearance. A number were taken from Carried To Dust, while their cover of Joy Division's Love Will Tear Us Apart Again (featured on a 2005 compilation of love songs called Sweetheart) earned a strong response from the audience. Calexico finished up their set at midnight, nearly two hours after taking the stage, leaving their audience reeling from a set steeped in impressive stamina and utter quality.