The Avett Brothers w/ Langhorne Slim at The Fox Theater, Atlanta [Concert Review]

I’ve been to a few Avett Brothers shows over the years. Saw them at the Fillmore in San Francisco last year with Magnolia Electric Co. as the opener. The Avett Brothers tested a few new songs that would become I And Love And You, but I’d characterize the band/crowd interaction as cautious and curious…like two dogs sniffing ass and crotch to see if they’ll agree with one another.

New Years night at The Fox Theater in Atlanta was a different scene entirely. It was due in large part to their outstanding new album and the proximity to their home state of North Carolina. I recently questioned whether or not The Avett Brothers have become mainstream and this night answered my question. I was lost in a crowd that included bearded aging hipsters, families that included teens and youngsters, college kids, and then your just turned 32 music blogger types with pregnant wives (maybe that was just me). All of these people sang damn near every word to every song. For the entire night.

The night opened with another HearYa favorite (and live session alumni) Langhorne Slim. Just like at Lollapalooza (and every other time he takes the stage), he works hard to win over everyone in the crowd. He hammered through tracks from his self-titled album and last year’s Be Set Free and spent more time playing from his knees, back, and top of chairs than he did on his feet. Standouts were “I Love You, But Goodbye,” “Be Set Free,” “Worries,” “Rebel Side of Heaven” and an improvised, solo-acoustic version of “Diamonds and Gold” (video below).

Then came The Avett Brothers, leading off with “Colorshow” which might be my favorite song of the evening. It was their most intense song (Four Thieves Gone album version doesn’t do it justice) and I’m not sure how their voices rebounded from blood-curdling screams to continue with spot-on harmonies the rest of the night. For those with families, expecting to hear the tender “I And Love And You” ballads, this may have created some buyer’s remorse. Or at least some parental guilt.

That intensity was short lived, however, and the band played through most of I And Love And You, several songs from Emotionalism and also a couple from The Gleam EPs. The moments that gave me chills? The first came from lyrics in “Murder In The City” and the lines:

Always remember, there is nothing worth sharing
Like the love that let us share our name.

And the next set of lyrics that sent shivers came from “The Perfect Space.”

I wanna have pride like my mother has,
And not like the kind in the bible that turns you bad.
And I wanna have friends that I can trust,
that love me for the man I’ve become and not the man that I was.

My wife looked at me during the show and asked “What is going on?” Neither of us were aware that the band’s popularity had grown to this extreme. Several times during the night, the band was drowned out by the crowd’s singing. They in turn showed appreciation and Scott commented, “First we were at the Earl, then The Drunken Unicorn, now The Fox.” Then Seth chimed in “There’s nowhere else we’d rather be on New Years Day.”

If you are on the fence with The Avett Brothers, go see a live performance. If you like them already, their show will make you love them.

Here is another review from the night at the Fox Theater. Below you’ll find a few mp3’s and fan videos.

Langhorne Slim – I Love You, But Goodbye

Langhorne Slim – Rebel Side of Heaven

The Avett Brothers – Murder In The City

The Avett Brothers – I And Love And You

Langhorne Slim – Diamonds and Gold