After waiting upwards of four years for Chicago native Andrew Bird to bring his own style of pizzicato-infused pop, as well as his bandmate Martin Dosh (with his joyous instrumental compositions) to Perth, it was with some trepidation that I entered the Rosemount at 9.30 worrying that Dosh had already played. Both Andrew and Martin have gone from strength to strength since teaming up in a couple of years ago, with Bird releasing his most popular album to date, Armchair Apocrypha with collaboration from Dosh. After touring Sydney in Joanna Newsom’s tow early last year, to see a headlining full band show for Andrew Bird in Perth is a welcome sight indeed.

As it happened, arriving at 9.30 was early enough to see two thirds of local support act Fall Electric, who proved themselves to be a very well chosen opener. Whilst not using the same looping techniques found in both Dosh and Bird’s music, the duo play with similar feeling, building songs from the ground up with constantly weaving motifs entering and exiting the fray without bold announcement or grandiosity.

Armed with a Rhodes piano, a drum kit and a looping pedal Dosh took the stage with relish, and a virtuosity too rarely seen, with which he dazzled the audience, swapping between instruments in an incomparable one man show. Making song selections from three albums, as well as some new material, the Anticon signee indubitably won over new fans, and provided the necessary good mood for Bird to take the stage.

Which he did with gusto, appearing at first by himself for two songs, moving and shaking like a man in a trance, whilst plucking and bowing his violin and delivering his trademark whistling, all the while singing and creating rich textures with his looping pedal, operated by his stripy socked foot.

Bandmates Dosh (percussion and Rhodes piano) and Jeremy Ylvisaker (bass) soon joined him, and the trio embarked on a practically seamless rendition of songs spanning Bird’s lengthy career, with all his most recent albums well represented.

Following a jaunty and almost boisterous playing of Dark Matter the band left the stage, and once again Bird was in front of us alone, sweetly taking a request from the audience, finishing to flit quietly off into the night in the manner his name would suggest.