I’d heard from a couple of friends that the Avett Brothers are a genuine band with genuine lyrics that make the audience feel genuinely moved. I underestimated the accuracy of my friends’ opinions, because Wednesday night at The War Eagle Supper Club the audience had tears in their eyes and a few running down their cheeks when the Avett Brothers left the stage. Their performance was something I’ve never seen before, and I never expected such a wonderful show from a folk band from North Carolina.
The Avett Brotehrs are a well known band, having released three popular full length albums, most recently one titled “Emotionalism,” and playing festivals such as Bonnaroo and The Echo Project. The folk trio, consisting of brothers Scott and Seth Avett and bassist Bob Crawford, pride themselves on writing songs that are sincere to them and convey true emotions. This is a claim made by many bands, and it seldom is the case that these artists are singing their “truths” to the audience. Instead, they leave the audience with a residual sense of being sung at.
The Avett Brothers, however, seem to have a yearning to present the audience with their stories in hopes that the audience will cradle the emotions in the lyrics; and that’s exactly what we all did at The Supper Club on Wednesday.
The first song began with Scott Avett’s voice coming clear and engaging through the sounds of his banjo and his brother Seth’s acoustic guitar with their song “The Weight of Lies.” Bassist Bob Crawford joined in soon by fingering his upright bass in perfect harmony.
The trio jumped right into their “screamgrass” style with vigor and hot-stompin’ dance. The brothers appeared to have been shaking in place for some songs which partly had to do with the fast paced folk rock, but it was mostly because Scott Avett played a bass drum while banjoing and Seth Avett played a hi-hat cymbal while strumming his guitar. Crawford’s bass spinning antics expressed the extent of the band’s love of performing, and guest cellist Joe Kwan completed the quality entertainment playing avant-garde on his upright instrument alongside the talented trio.
Most of the night consisted of heart felt songs to unknown girls such as “Shame” and “Pretty Girl from Cedar Lane.” They saved one of their best and most famed songs “Will You Return” for the energetic encore, leaving the audience driven for more banjoing. Immediately upon the band’s stage departure the audience began a chant of pining expectations,”ONE MORE SONG! ONE MORE SONG!”
The generous brothers and their upright duos compassionately obliged the audience with a spectacular performance of their folk ballad “If It’s the Beaches.” The band stretched a four minute slow song into what seemed an eternity of swaying in somber elation. And then they left the stage for good that night, and there were tears in the good men and women’s eyes alike.
Tour dates, merchandise and more band information can be found on their website: www.theavettbrothers.com.