Of late, it has become rather trendy in independent music to be country without actually having ties to the genre. I’d say close to 99 percent of the time this shift in sound comes from trend, not musical roots. The Avett Brothers are absolutely an exception to that rule. Their Grand Ole Opry (by way of North Carolina) sound is as real as Grace Potter’s dress is short, both of which made their way to Kansas City’s Crossroads recently.
Opening the show with her larger than life vocals and over the top energy, Grace Potter and the Nocturnals snagged the crowd’s attention from the moment they took stage. Yelling to the large pond of on-lookers, “It’s the opening band’s job to warm up the crowd,” Potter seemed to poke fun at Kansas City’s depressing climate, which which cold and drizzly. “I’m even wearing two pairs of underwear tonight. Let’s call them Long Johns,” she later exclaimed. However, cold couldn’t keep Potter and company from burning up the stage. With a near perfect set and well managed sound, Potter proved to the near 2500 in attendance why she’s quickly becoming one of the most respected vocalists in the game. Long story short, Potter has some pipes on her.
She also helped set the stage flawlessly for the bluegrass, folk-rock to follow. Though the sound quality of the Avett Brothers seemed slightly diminished from Potter’s set (possibly from a wet stage), their energy was no doubt intact. Swapping instruments from song to song, their set resembles what bluegrass should be. It’s very reminiscent of the back porch jams of a southern home. It’s little more than a group of guys gathering to play music for the sake of making music. It’s real.
They calmly shift in and out of banjo, cello and guitar based tunes, keeping time with a make shift drum set resting at the front of the stage. However, it seems important to point out that regardless of how backwoods that might sound, they still somehow manage to linger somewhere close to the hearts of the everyday listener, managing to come just 50 tickets short of a sellout on a night as disgusting as they come. “It’s good to see a little rain can’t scare you off, Kansas City.”
Kansas City rejoiced in cheers.
Set List:
left on Laura, left on Lisa
January Wedding
Tin Man
Colorshow
I killed Sally’s Lover
Bella Donna
Salina
Will You Return
Open-ended life
Distraction No. 74
Please Pardon Yourself
Head full of Doubt/Heart full of promise
In the Curve
Denouncing November Blue
Slight Figure of Speech
November Blue
Pretty Girl From Michigan
Go To Sleep
I and Love and You
Kill Drum Heart
Encore: Down with the shine
Talk on Indolence
