Concert review: The Avett Brothers rock up the folk at the State Fair Grandstand
Rock and roll history is filled with bands that have to be heard live to be truly appreciated Such has often been revealed of such legendary ensembles as the Grateful Dead and Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band And I ll add another act to the conversation The Avett Brothers Friday night s gig at the Minnesota State Fair Grandstand was the third time I ve heard the sibling-led group from North Carolina and on each occasion I ve come away feeling this to be a band to which studio recordings don t remotely do justice Having followed the peculiar path from rock to bluegrass to a kind of thunderous rock-flavored folk all their own Scott and Seth Avett and the rest of their seven-piece mostly acoustic band are explosively energetic and deeply committed to their material They re not only enormously entertaining but are fascinating songwriters as well And Friday s -song almost-two-hour set was expertly assembled to send the in attendance on an emotional roller coaster ride While the concept of a rock or pop act interrupting their set for a sparse intimate acoustic numbers has become a cliche of the concert industry usually delivered from a small second stage the Avett Brothers intersperse such numbers throughout their set coaxing listeners inward with captivating story songs filled with clever turns of phrase and arresting imagery And just when they ve calmed the waters they roil them with as much rock and roll rage as can be mustered from a banjo fiddle cello and acoustic guitar the brothers bouncing about as if gravity can t contain their passion Urgency is a key element in an Avetts show and there was plenty of it to be exposed in the bluegrass-flavored opener Country Kid the sway-and-sing anthem Down With the Shine and an epic and involving Head Full of Doubt Road Full of Promise But a few of the the greater part memorable moments came when the brothers traded solo acoustic numbers Seth spinning a beautiful The Ballad of Love and Hate and Scott countering with a wistful Murder in the City Yet the rock and roll resource couldn t be bottled up for long erupting on a Grandstand-shaking Talk on Indolence Perhaps it was only a matter of time before these brothers decided that acoustic instruments couldn t sufficiently express their sense of urgency Hence the two strapped on electric guitars and sent solos wailing into the night on Slight Figure of Speech and an encore of Kick Drum Heart And it worked seeming like the logical next step for artists who seem inevitably intent upon raising the intensity Speaking of bands that are better live Everlys-esque acoustic duo the Milk Carton Kids delivered an opening set that was far more exhilarating than their recorded output their resonant songwriting skills coming through quiet and clear Rob Hubbard can be reached at wordhub yahoo com Related Articles State Fair Grandstand review Daryl Hall and the Rascals offer a sweet night of soul to a state in need Concert review A reunited and reinvigorated Linkin Park thrills Target Center crowd State Fair Grandstand review Hank Williams Jr offers something like a memoir in music Concert review Was Def Leppard worth a record a ticket at the Grandstand State Fair Grandstand review The Happy Together tour summons up the s yet again
