The Avett Brothers live...
Looking at my blog title for this review, I'm thinking perhaps a better line should be the Avett Brothers lively because lively they are! Almost electric. But I will leave it as it is...for now.
Seth Avett
We had the great pleasure of seeing the group in Reading this past Wednesday night, September 21, 2011. As we stood in the rain waiting for the Sovereign Center to open it's doors, we questioned if this drenching was all going to be worth it. Others standing under umbrellas assured us that we would not regret getting a little wet.
Leaving the Center at the end of the evening we admitted that, if given the chance to see them again, we would not only stand through torrential rains, but possibly hail, blizzards, flash floods or tornado force winds as well! Yes, they were that worth it!
But first let me qualify myself. I have seen so many performers over the course of my life, big names as well as not so big. Artists with names like Eric Clapton, Paul McCartney, Aerosmith, Jackson Browne, Joe Cocker, Billy Joel, Bonnie Raitt, the Eagles, Styx, Journey, Maroon5, Jeff Healey, Keb Mo, Steve Forbert, Buffy Sainte Marie, Matchbox Twenty, just to name a very few. But with all of that, I have never seen any who had as much love for what they were doing as the Avett brothers did on Wednesday night!
The energy they have is palpable! And they were having so much fun, it just flowed out across the audience and the entire arena, floor and seats were undulating like giant ocean waves. That is when they weren't bouncing to match the pace of everyone on stage!
It was also remarkable to hear the audience all singing alone...to every song!
The brothers, Scott and Seth are originally from Concord, North Carolina and while they tried their hand at other things, when they realized they weren't having any fun at what they were doing,they quickly settled into this delightfully humble threesome by adding stand up bassist Bob Crawford to their ranks.
It is hard to pigeon hole them into a genre...Americana suits them best, but I've heard country fans will come away with a feeling of satisfaction after seeing them as well, and folk lovers will also be happy with what they bring to the stage. Multi-instrumentalists, they are adept at everything they pick up, be it guitar, banjo, seated at a piano or in the case of Scott, wielding a paintbrush. Aside from making great music, Scott is living out the philosophy given in one of their songs as well. - "Decide what to be and go be it.”. He is equally as talented with a palette and brush as he is with fingers on strings and harmonies
Our evening opened with guest artist Nicole Atkins. Nicole, a longtime friend and past performer with the brothers, did a selection of her more known songs Neptune City and Brooklyn’s on Fire were there. But she got her biggest round of applause when she did a traditional American folk song which dates back to at least the 1870s currently called, "Where Did You Sleep Last Night?" The song has been covered by many over the decades and Nicole chose to do it in the fashion of Nirvana's Kurt Cobain.
Then -
Set list: not necessarily in this order -
Laundry Room
And It Spread
Tin Man
Colorshow
November Blue
Salina
Paranoia
Go To Sleep
The Fall
Slight Figure of Speech
Once and Future Carpenter
Head Full of Doubt
Backwards With Time
When I Drink
Ten Thousand Words
Kick Drum Heart
Never Been Alive (unreleased but played in concert)
Blue Ridge Mountain Blues(doc Watson)
January Wedding
Will You Return
encore:
Talk on Indolence
I and Love and You
I'd say that if you only had five concerts you could see in your lifetime, then pick your favorite four bands, but definitely make the fifth one an Avett Brothers concert! Their shows are unmatched for their energy and intensity, and the music is absolutely amazing. They sound great, and they are a lot of fun to watch. What more do you want for your ticket price?
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