Sally Ford and Langhorn Slim opened -- curious and interesting, respectively -- and then the curtain went down. Since we are used to playing beer bottle soccer at the usual venues where we take in shows, this was strange. When it finally went up, the Avett Brothers were chewing into their first tune, pumping their variously-sized stringed instruments, bathed in red. A Decemberists-looking pirate ship backdrop hung behind them.
Both Seth and Scott Avett define an animated on-stage presence that punctuates their folksy roots music. Seth's lanky frame, long hair, and goatee channel a kind of Dave Grohl-ishness and Scott's full-bodied singing appears elastic.
The Avetts' voices were slightly more gravelly than expected, but it WAS New Year's Eve the night before. Their harmonies were still consistently resonant. Scott's masculine twang and Seth's smoother, higher sound complement each other perfectly on their records, and the same vocal chemistry was present live.
The majority of the band's songs came from its last two albums -- last summer's I and Love and You and 2007's Emotionalism. You forget, listening to the Avett's toe-tapping, pretty tunes that they have the power to explode live. Particularly "A Caroline Jubilee" and "Kick Drum Heart."
However, the brothers' best songwriting happens on songs that are neither foot stompers or slow ballads. Songs like "Shame," "A Perfect Space," and "January Wedding" were delivered beautifully and simply with strong crowd participation. Another emotionally beautiful song, "If I Get Murdered in the City" silenced the entire theater with its evocative final verse, and prompted riotous applause at its conclusion.
Sometimes the show wasn't terribly precise, with tunings and organized crowd-sing-alongs sometimes dragging on a bit long. The delivery of "I and Love and You" was cliched, though it's a satisfyingly complex song. But the Avetts are amazing songwriters, singers, and multi-instrumentalists, and they put on an exhilarating show. Seth told the crowd, close to the concert's close, that he expected to see "each and every" one of us at every Avett show this year. I can think of worse ways to spend 2010.
Pretty sure you've confused which brother is which. Otherwise, very nice review.
ReplyDeleteSeth is the one who made the "every show" comment. He plays guitar & is the taller, more Dave Grohl-sh one. Scott plays banjo and was a pogo stick in his last life.