I saw the Avett Brothers for the first time Friday night. Some friends accidentally purchased extra tickets to the show, and they decided to gift them to me and another house concert friend. Lucky us!!
I’d never heard of the Avett Brothers prior to being invited to the show. I listened a bit on Facebook and YouTube, and I knew I’d like them. Live they were even better. The songs were very diverse in sound. The two brothers each played at least three different instruments and both had amazing vocal ranges. The topics of the songs ranged from love to political to stories.
It’s been awhile since I’ve been to a big show before. The biggest show I’ve gone to in recent history was Gogol Bordello at Jannus Live. I love going to smaller shows (e.g. house concerts, Hideaway Cafe, Ale & the Witch, etc…), but there is something to a big show too. Usually the bass at a smaller show doesn’t reverberate from your toes to your head, pausing for a moment or two to give your heart a good shake. There’s usually not a light show that accompanies the music, emphasizing those dark or joyous moments in a song.
Two of the strongest memories I have from the show don’t have much to do with the music. They are things I saw in the crowd.
- A young woman dancing, a joyous look on her face. Her boyfriend snapping a picture of her while she danced, oblivious to the small act of love he was showing in trying to capture her beauty.
- A middle-aged man dancing to his favorite tunes, looking like a cross-country skier. Not a care in the world and beautiful for it.
- Out of the thousands at the show, we ran into the people we got the tickets from! Amazing coincidence.
It was a good show. And I got to know a friend a little better because we were able to talk more before and after the show than we’ve been able to in the past.
My preference is smaller venues, but I’m definitely glad I had the opportunity to experience the Avett Brothers’ music live.