They were outside because they weren’t allowed inside, because of Savannah’s inane ordinance excluding 18-20 year olds from any live music venue that is also a bar.

Inside, it was a little like church, with a rapt audience hanging on every word and movement of the central figure — the black-clad, pale-skinned Marling whose piercing eyes and pure voice seemed to channel some power over there on the other side somewhere.

Live Wire can be a tough spot for photos when the red gels are in the stagelights, as they were for most of the time that I was there. But I worked my way through the sizable crowd between songs to a spot along the east wall where the sightlines were pretty good. I love the sort of pained ecstasy in her face in a few of these.

Marling also tried out her new 12-string guitar, which you can see in the picture to the left. It seems almost as big as she is.

For those who don’t know Marling or her sound, check out the video for a sample. My photos are below. Congrats to all involved for getting a rising star like Marling to Savannah.

Laura Marling’s Working Holiday Solo Tour brings her to Live Wire Music Hall on Wednesday, October 17th for a show at Live Wire Music Hall on River Street. It’s another production from Wagatail; the cover is a measly $8 and the music is scheduled to start at 9 p.m. (we’ll see about that, obviously).

She’s just 22 years old, but already has an impressive body of work behind her and is considered one of the rising stars in the world of indie folk. She was awarded Best Female Artist at the 2011 Brit Awards (more or less equivalent to the Grammys here in the U.S.).

More about Marling from Ticketfly:

Laura Marling from the “Don’t Ask Me Why” video below

“Singer/songwriter Laura Marling was only 16 years old when she emerged on the British indie scene in 2007 thanks to a handful of infectious singles made available on her MySpace profile. Endowed with a husky voice, an acoustic guitar, and a gift for building quirky, hooky folk songs (characteristics that find her compared favorably to artists like Lily Allen, Regina Spektor, and Martha Wainwright), Marling quickly made a name for herself throughout England thanks to a heavy touring schedule and a few high-profile gigs, not the least of which included an appearance at the 2006 City Showcase: Spotlight London and as the opening act for Jamie T. Although she was still without a label one year later, her debut EP, My Manic and I, was slated for independent release in the late fall of 2007. This status didn’t last for long, however, because in early 2008, signed to Virgin, Marling issued Alas I Cannot Swim, which also came as part of a multimedia Songbox package. In 2010, Marling released her sophomore album, I Speak Because I Can, which debuted at number three on the U.K. albums chart and was nominated for the Mercury Music Prize. Marling’s third studio album, A Creature I Don’t Know, arrived on September 9, 2011.” – Margaret Reges, AllMusicGuide

“Sophia”, which like a number of Marling’s videos has over a million plays on YouTube:

“All My Rage”:

“Don’t Ask Me Why/Salinas” live:

Marling’s Tiny Desk Concert at NPR: