Saturday night we packed into a car and headed down the road, all of us uncomfortably close but okay with it because hey, we’re all friends here!
There are never shows in Springfield. The third largest city in Missouri is a cesspool of college students and murder. In the city. I digress.
When a show is booked in that town, it’s always on my radar, particularly if it’s half decent and not The Oak Ridge Boys so we snagged a bunch of those Avett Brothers tickets and hit the road. For good measure, my small child accompanied us because I take exposing my child to the banjo jams of badass bands very seriously, despite the fact that doing so will keep him up past his bedtime.
If you know anything about The Avett Brothers you know that bassist Bob Crawford has a daughter, Hallie, and that health issues with his little girl keep Bob from touring with the band now and then. It was a total treat to see Bob walk out on that stage, upright bass in hand, when no one expected he would be there. (As a sidenote, if you’re interested, there’s a fundraising page for Hallie here – to date, Avett fans and family have donated over $48,000 to her medical care.)
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Now, dudes. I have seen a show. I’ve seen Springsteen run for 3 hours straight and turn retirees into bumbling, dancing maniacs. I have seen Tom Petty encourage the crowd to spark a joint and plumes of smoke rise into the night air as if we, the masses, were signaling to the Gods. I have seen Willie Nelson, Neil Young, and Paul Simon, men who have changed the face of music forever, stand upon a stage and sing. But this? This was something wholly different. The energy was thick enough to punch you in the face and the dancing on that stage was akin to what your grandpa would do if he heard that banjo and could get out of his wheelchair. It was a mesmerizing experience and justifies the entire cost of my future trip to Wakarusa, if only because I get to see that band again. I was in love before; now I am in awe.
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You can view the FULL SET here.
(Oh hey there, guys. Let me tell you something real quick: If you gank my pictures and use them without proper attribution to, at the very least, this blog it will make me sad. And then I’ll get angry. THEN I’ll find your house and maybe, I’m not sure yet, steal your dog/cat/daisies. The more you know…)
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SET LIST
1. And It Spread [mp3]
2. I Killed Sally’s Lover
3. Die, Die, Die
4. Shame
5. Distraction #74
6. Down with the Shine
7. Go to Sleep [mp3]
8. Colorshow
9. January Wedding
10. Salina
11. Will You Return
12. One and Future Carpenter
13. Living of Love
14. Tin Man
15. Backwards with Time
16. When I Drink
17. Murder in the City
18. Just a Closer Walk with Thee
19. The Fall
20. I and Love and You
21. Cedar Lane
22. Left on Laura, Left on Lisa
23. Talk on Indolence
24. Kick Drum Heart
Encore
25. Prettiest Thing
26. Ballad of Love and Hate
27. HFOD/RFOP
28. Laundry Room [mp3]
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