#may 11 2012

The Avett Brothers. May 11, 2012.

Patriot Center. Fairfax, VA.

The endlessly touring Avett Brothers are set to release their newest album, The Carpenter, in early September, and they're still touring. I just can't get enough of these guys; the brotherly harmonies, the bluegrass instrumentation, the punk rock performances. Every night is a new show, a new experience.

The Avett Brothers hammered out classics like Colorshow, Shame, Head Full of Doubt Road Full of Promise, and Talk of Indolence. They filled in the setlist with a few new songs too, The Once and Future Carpenter and Down With the Shine. A live Avett Brothers concert experience can only be described as energetic, dynamic, and entertaining. As good as the studio albums are, I think they're that much better live.

They come out swinging with the full band lined up at the front of the stage; cello, upright bass, banjo, guitar, and drums in the back. The crowd is dancing and singing a long, the band is feeding off the energy and pumping it right back, it's just an old fashioned foot-stompin' good time. 

Then they start switching up the arrangements and instrumentation, the dynamics. The drums leave, the cello leaves, then everyone is back, then it's just the brothers. One of my favorite parts of every Avett Brothers show is when it's just the brothers. All the lights dim down and a single spotlight shines from above. Scott and Seth huddle close to the microphone armed only with acoustic guitars and the voices their parents gave them. The crowd is silent as they weave through delicately intertwining guitar riffs and harmonies, leaning in and out from the mic for that perfect vocal mix.

I would think at one point in their career it was probably just the brothers playing together in a small club or bar that might only hold 100 people. Everyone starts somewhere, they've come a long way and deserve to be on the big stage. I just wish BlueSkyCampfires had seen one of those bar shows, and I can't help but think how cool it would be to have these guys playing around our campfire.

The Avett Brothers - Sanguine.

Line 'em up. Photo by BlueSkyCampfires.

Today is the day I don’t think I believe in love anymore.

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