Band of Horses Live in Boston.
From the first song to the last, Band of Horses sounded superb. A near sold-out crowd blissfully sweated together. Opening with “For Annabelle,” the band then played a soaring and expansive “Laredo” alternating with vocals up, music down and vocals down, music up. I adore the band’s mellow, laid-back vibe so Band of Horses surprised me with a loud and dynamic live show. The talented, Grammy-nominated musicians looked comfortable and affable during the hour long set which mixed older songs [a grungy sounding “Cigarettes, Wedding Bands”] with songs from the band’s newest release Why Are You Okay? [a potent “Casual Party”]. There was little talking, it was all about playing songs and having fun. Don’t expect pithy anecdotes and song introductions during a Band of Horses show.
Generally I prefer concerts with some audience interaction but I also appreciate outstanding musicians and solid performances. I thoroughly enjoyed the high-energy set infusing indie rock, folk and Americana. Band of Horses formed in Seattle but relocated to Charlestown, South Carolina. Throughout the show it was obvious that the band enjoys performing and playing together. Seeing the guys stand four straight across the stage during a looser take on “Laredo” looked fantastic. It was a lot of fun to see Band of Horses jam out on “Country Teen,” another song from the new album. Bassist Bill Reynolds and drummer Creighton Barrett brilliantly play off each other and provide magnanimous hooks and grooving elements.
On quite a few songs the band would speed up and slow down. There was urgency to the heartfelt, stunning “No One’s Gonna Love You” while “Older” sounded absolutely perfect and “Hag” rotated from quiet to loud to quiet in an absolutely grand build-up. The set closed with another gorgeous single “The Funeral” with Tyler Ramsey starting the song by himself and then stopping and continuing where he left off as his earplug feel out. Such a pro he literally didn’t miss a beat. I expected him to start from the top but he didn’t. The encore included a rock out “Is There a Ghost?” and a honky tonk “General Specific.” Band of Horses is a band not to be missed live.
Keep up with Band of Horses at the following links:
Website | Facebook | @bandofhorses
The post Review: Band Of Horses Live In Boston – September 20, 2016 appeared first on Indie Minded.