The sound mix wasn’t perfect but the North Carolina folk-rock heroes powered through for a fan-inspired concert at Wings Event Center. Review, photos, set list at Local Spins.
Revving Up a Big Crowd: The Avett Brothers on Friday night. (Photo/Derek Ketchum)
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Leave it to the Avett Brothers to overcome some flaws to impress fans with a mix of showmanship, understated-yet-underscored musical talent and lyrical power.
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The harmonious North Carolina folk-rock heroes muscled through two dozen songs at Kalamazoo’s Wings Event Center on Friday, from older classics such as “Murder in the City” and “I and Love and You” to the songs “Bleeding White” and “C Sections and Railway Trestles” from 2019’s “Close Than Together.”
That’s not to say things were perfect at this sports arena-turned-concert hall.
The band’s drums were sabotaged by the Event Center’s domed ceiling, making them almost painful acoustically. And amid the darkness, fans struggled to navigate in and out of the main attraction for food, drinks or restrooms.
Despite this, the vocals were crisp, clear and comprehensible — worth hearing, of course, because the Avett Brothers lean toward engaging, original metaphors and evocative language.
Electrifying: Harmonies, lyrics, musicianship. (Photo/Derek Ketchum)
They so effectively evoke the scene they want to describe, they ooze an engaging quality, especially with four band members harmonizing on stage.
Although things kicked things off 20 minutes, there were no other delays: Band members didn’t speak between songs, only introducing themselves over an hour into the show. And swapping out instruments was so efficient they did it several times in mid-song without slowing down.
Scott and Seth Avett, in particular, jumped around the stage for the entire two-hour set. At one point, Seth Avett performed a 10-minute song, then immediately moved onto another five-minute selection without pause or a drop in quality.
Tania Elizabeth, their touring fiddler, also stood out, so much so that each song without her felt like it was missing something. Adding vigor and intensity, she also got a solo performance featuring impressive vocal runs and string playing.
Throughout, the Avett Brothers showed off their years of experience in spotlighting a depth of different work — changing tempos, tones and volume.
Not surprisingly, the crowd reception was nothing but vivacious, with 90 percent of the audience standing from the opening song to the end of the concert. Every invitation for a sing-along produced a response almost matching the volume of the Avett Brothers on stage.
It all rolled out as a night of reciprocated musical passion.
PHOTO GALLERY: The Avett Brothers at Wings Event Center
Photos by Derek Ketchum
SET LIST: The Avett Brothers at Wings Event Center
Setlist.fm
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