Monday, 29 Jun 2009
Set List: Signs // Die Die Die // I & Love & You // At the Beach // Bella Donna // Laundry Room // Paranoia in Bb Major // One Line Wonder // Down With A Glistening Shine // Talk on Indolence // Murder in the City // Denouncing November Blue // LOL, LOL // Ballad of Love & Hate // Rollin’ in My Sweet Baby’s Arms (Earl Scruggs cover) // Salina // Kick Drum Heart // Dream Appointed (Another Youngster) // Go to Sleep
Encore: The Perfect Space
It had been a couple years since I’d seen a show at the House of Blues in Chicago. I arrived to the venue in great anticipation, The Avett Brothers had teased some new material from their forthcoming album, I and Love and You when I saw them in Austin a few months back. Since then, I’ve had the chance to hear a few live records and have had the title track on in heavy rotation.
New songs “Laundry Room” and “Kick Drum Heart” embody the charging energy side of the Avett’s, while the evening’s closer, “The Perfect Space,” is as reflective as anything they’ve penned to date. It opens with a reasonable wish, “I wanna have friends that I can trust, that love me for the man I’ve become not the man I was” and ends continues with a heavy ending of “I wanna have pride like my mother has, And not like the kind in the bible that turns you bad.”
The Avett Brothers will leave your legs sore, your voice hoarse, and your memory bank filled with joy. They’re a band that you could drag along a pessimist and I’d bet the Avetts could win them over by the time the curtain goes down. Last night’s crowd was a mixture of the usual suspects: the die-hards, the booze hounds, the hippie chics, the businessman, and many more. The beauty of their live show resides within their ability to seamlessly transfer from rocker to delicate acoustic numbers like “Murder In The City.” If you haven’t bought your ticket for their show at the Barrymore in October, it’s never to early to plan ahead. The show will sell out, so don’t be left out.
Discuss: Drop a comment if you made last night’s show in Chicago. What were your highlights and thoughts on the new material?
Bonus: Scott Avett playing “Greensboro Woman” traveling from Columbus to Covington (6/21/09)
June 29th, 2009 at 6:55 pm
My friends and I were in a theatre box and had the chance to chat with Joe Kwon after the performance. Pretty much a perfect end to a perfect show. You’d have to be a real idiot not to enjoy these guys.
June 29th, 2009 at 7:08 pm
Great show. House of Blues is not my favorite venue (at all), but of course I enjoyed myself b/c it’s the Avetts! Nice write-up.
Highlights for me were One Line Wonder, Signs, and the Earl Scruggs cover. Oh, and Go To Sleep as the last song before the encore is always fun w/ the crowd repeating the “la-la”s over and over again. I had the privilege of hearing Perfect Space three times in the past week, and every time it just gets better and better.
June 30th, 2009 at 11:46 am
A friend recently turned me on to the Avett Brothers. I didn’t catch them in Chicago but am hoping to when they head east in October. Thanks for building up my anticipation!
Katie Simons
kathryn@arielpublicity.com
Ariel Publicity/Cyber PR
389 12th Street
Brooklyn, NY 11215
212-239-8384
March 9th, 2010 at 7:56 pm
loved this show… been going crazy over trying to remember the name of the opening act. please reply if you have that info. Just saw the avetts again in chicago on sunday and it was just perfect.
thanks
shane