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The Avett Brothers, with Grace Potter and the Nocturnals
September 25, 2010
Crossroads KC at Grinders
I miss that feeling of feeling, belted the Avett Brothers in the Crossroads on Saturday night. It's a fairly complete summary of the band's tone, sound, message, what-have-you: The folk-rock-Americana-punk band tackles fiery bluegrass jams and wistful ballads, but more than anything, its a purveyor of wide-eyed, anthemic songs that transcend the lines of genre and style.
The Avett Brothers were ushered into the spotlight with 2009's I And Love and You. But the band gained acclaim in underground circles for nearly 10 years with its legendary live shows. Despite the chilly, waterlogged weather (and woodchips), last night's show was true to form.
Better than: the last time the Avetts were here. (Weather-wise, at least.)
Maybe it was the cold, or the incessant hair-whipping or the ruthless cribbing from Fleetwood Mac, but Grace Potter and the Nocturnals' set was a miss. I fully expected to dig 'em after hearing excellent things about the band's live shows. Unfortunately, Potter was pretty, leggy and blonde enough to keep most of the plaid-and-glasses donning set of dudes at the Crossroads entertained; but her faux-trippy fusion of Heart and Stevie Nicks wasn't exactly setting the place on fire. (Potter couldn't even get the crowd to clap. House lights revealed one-in-twenty fans with their hands above their head. Cue second-hand embarrassment.)
The most memorable part of the band's act -- besides a fairly flawless, if unoriginal, rendition of "White Rabbit" -- was when Potter showed the crowd her two pairs of underwear. "I've got one...and two," Potter said, pointing to a black lacy pair and one that looked, from my far-away vantage point, like blue and white cotton. "And a wedgie," she said, picking and grimacing.
When the Avetts came out -- around 10:15 or so -- clouds were billowing over Grinders, and a waterlogged moon glimmered over the shoulders of the crowd. The band immediately laid into "Left on Laura, Left on Lisa," a cut from 2006's Four Thieves Gone - The Robbinsville Sessions. There's something to be said for a band where every member sings along with each song, despite the fact that they don't have microphones.
The set was heavy on cuts from I And Love And You, which was a double-edged sword for older fans. The band's thicker, newer, orchestral tracks had an epic sweep, like the incredible warmth and sprawl of "Head Full of Doubt/Road Full of Promise"; but, the sinewy, punk fury of older numbers like "Salina" -- while well-represented in the band's sheer live power -- was missed a little bit. ("Murder In the City," "Swept Away," "The Weight of Lies," "Pretty Girl From Chile," and "Paranoia in B Major" were noticeable absences. And, most of those songs were played in the Avett's set in the Lou just days before. For shame, Avetts!)
One of the stronger numbers of the night was an oldie, though: "Salina," which name-checks Kansas. The song was a three-part opus that was demonstrative of the Avett's bizarre range: stark, twangy ballad, beer-soaked hootenanny, and fantastical orchestral fade-out. "Will You Return?," another cut off of
Emotionalism, was a twisty foot-stomper, too: with skinny jeans, twitchy dance moves and a slightly flat harmonies, the Avetts momentarily recalled the Hamburg-era Beatles.
The foggy cold was hell on tuning, but the guys have been at it for 10 years; they're old pros by now. Cellist Joe Kwon and drummer Jacob Edwards (who's from Missouri, represent!) filled out the band's ramshackle bluegrass compositions beautifully. Even purists had to admit: The Gleam and Mignonette never had this kind of warmth.
A new song, "Open-Ended Life," had a trio of weathered party-bros in front of me knocking beers while singing to each other, I was taught to keep an open-ended life, and never trap myself in nothin'.
I've been screaming my lungs out with nothing to say, sang Seth Avett. "Can you scream?" he asked, wiggling his fingers at us and steeling himself as if he was about to receive a blow to the cheekbone. The house lights blast white light, and a hoarse, cathartic scream rings out from the outer fringes of the Crossroads.
Critics' Bias: The Avetts are my brothers. (In my head.)
Overheard in the Crowd: "If they play my fucking song, I'm going to freak the fuck out. I'm going to fucking freak the fuck out, dude."
Random Notebook Dump: It comes in white and it comes in black, sang the Avetts. The drunk guy in front of me points at his black friend singing along and says, "It comes in black!" He then laughs, hysterically, and smiles at me.
Setlist:
Left On Laura
January Wedding
Tin Man
Colorshow
Sally's Lover
Bella Donna
Salina
Will You Return
Open Ended Life (New Song)
Distraction 74
Please Pardon Yourself
Head Full of Doubt/Road Full of Promise
In the Curve
Denouncing November Blue
Slight Figure of Speech
November Blue
Pretty Girl From Michigan
Go To Sleep
I and Love and You
Kick Drum
Encore:
Down With The Shine
Talk on Indolence
Evidently, the Avetts also played a Best Buy on Barry Road at 11AM on the day of the show. (This is the Facebook event for the acoustic set.)
Setlist (Acoustic):
Weight Of Lies
Head Full of Doubt
Paranoia In B Major
Kick Drum Heart
Where Have All The Average People Gone
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