Arriving just in time for opening act, Deer Tick, we secured a close house right spot. The Avett Brothers took the stage a few minutes after 9pm. The original band consists of two brothers – Scott (banjo) and Seth (guitar) Avett – as well as Bob Crawford (double bass and occasionally violin). Joe Kwon (cello) and Mike Marsh (drums) are also official touring members and have contributed to studio productions as well. Paul DeFiglia also joined them on the piano as well as a female violinist whose name I couldn’t find.
While the show was still good from inception, I noticed a significant uptick in the performance around the midpoint mark, including the quality of the songs and the energy level of both the band and the crowd. Also, instead of keeping with more or less the same personnel and instrumentation throughout the show, they frequently changed things up. While their set was mostly acoustic set, with the brothers and Bob on the banjo, acoustic guitar, and upright double bass, for a few songs, they switched to electric instruments. This gave their normally folky sound a harder edge. Scott’s long hair was flopping wildly as he head banged. It was a smart play on their part as it really livened up the show. Furthermore, the core band – Scott, Seth, and Bob – ventured closer to the audience on a little outcropping past the main stage for several songs. This included a handful of songs performed as a trio as well as Scott and Seth each taking a turn with a solo performance. The change up in players and instruments allowed them to include quite songs like “The Ballad of Love and Hate” that would be more appropriate for a campfire sing-along as well as foot stomping and clapping songs like “Kick Drum Heart” that seemed more fitting of our actual arena setting.
They covered a bit from nearly the entirety of their fairly large catalogue including songs from Mignonette (2004), The Gleam (2006), Four Thieves Gone: The Robbinsville Sessions (2006), Emotionalism (2007), The Second Gleam (2008), I and Love and You (2009), The Carpenter (2012), and the recent Magpie and the Dandelion (2013). They also played several covers, including songs by John Denver, Doc Watson, and Waylon Jennings/Willie Nelson. The show’s lights and visuals were nothing too special though they had a few nice backdrops and videos which complimented the performance well enough. It actually reminded me a bit of a diluted Sigur Rós performance, particularly a backdrop of a still image of candles and a video of the moving sea.
Setlist:
Open Ended Life
Live and Die
Morning Song
Pretty Girl from Cedar Lane
Down with the Shine
Salina
Distraction #74
Laundry Room Thank God I'm a Country Boy (John Denver cover)
Pretty Girl from Chile
Bring Your Love to Me
I Would Be Sad
The Ballad of Love and Hate
Nothing Short of Thankful
Murder in the City
Living of Love
Little Sadie (Doc Watson cover)
Colorshow
Kick Drum Heart
I and Love and You
Encore:
Head Full of Doubt/Road Full of Promise
I Can Get Off on You (Waylon Jennings & Willie Nelson cover)
Souls Like the Wheels
Vanity
If It's the Beaches
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