"All exits look the same," they sang.
Fortunately for us, this must be a good thing if every exit gets the caliber of energy and devotion that the Avett Brothers presented last night at the Palace Theater in Albany, NY.
This was my first time hearing and seeing them play live, though I did watch the live webcast of their performance at Mountain Jam a few years ago and was mesmerized. Okay, I am a sucker for a bit of good banjo and cello...
These guys put it all out there. The singing is strong and vibrant, they play various instruments while jumping and foot stomping around the stage during the fast songs.
Yet they also can turn down the lights and give ballads the respect and pureness of tone that they deserve.
Sibling voices can often harmonize in a finely turned way, and the Avetts are a fine example of this.
The vocals are not fancy or refined, they are simple and the sincerity of feeling will take you away. They merge country and folk and rock and make this fine Americana sound that you can't quite define yet you know it's good !
There was no opening act, they took the stage a little after 8:00 PM and played until 10:20PM. The show never stopped moving, whether one or two or three or all five band members
were performing. Their energy definitely radiated out into the crowd, people were singing and dancing and shouting, the Albany crowd was with them all the way !
They are charming, telling stories of playing at the Lark ten years ago and being happy to be back. Seth Avett spoke about reading William Kennedy's Albany centered book “Billy Phelan’s Greatest Game" each night after the shows and now being happy to actually be in Albany. Several times they thanked the crowd for being there, saying it was an honor to perform. You don't hear that from many performers these days...
I am a fairly new fan to them so I was not familiar with all their songs, but it didn't matter. Even if you have never heard their music they draw you right in with their sincerity and energized delivery.
Highlights for me would have to be "I and Love and You", "January Wedding", "Paranoia in Bb Major" and "Head Full of Doubt/Road Full of Promise." Playing a 28 song set list, I now have a lot of new music to explore. Gladly.
