The three brothers and a cousin with Oklahoma and Tennessee roots are riding a more comfortable wave as evidenced by last night’s energetic, intense, but fun frolic through the group’s 18 years as a band.
Use Somebody had even the most casual of fans singing every word and dancing in the aisles. It’s a number that still sounds as fresh and vital as it did nearly a decade ago.
Following a tasteful and decidedly un-tacky acoustic set, which included Milk, Talihina Sky and the title cut from WALLS, the group jumped back into tuneful jam mode with both feet.
Dropping the red shears that gave the stage an old theatre feel, they let it rip with arena-size anthems and production in Find Me, Radioactive, The Immortals, Notion, and another sing and clap along of On Call, the crowd still with them every step of the way.
The free-form ebb-and-flow of the evening was a suitable set up for the evening’s climax of Sex On Fire, which sent a terrific crowd to the exits satisfied – and then some.
Opening the evening was excellent California folk and rock act, Dawes.
For the uninitiated, they certainly struck into the hearts and minds of the KOL die-hards. The group’s consistency across five albums has earned it a following, but the band remains on the periphery of mainstream acceptance.
Singer-guitarist Taylor Goldsmith led the scrappy combo through grabbing and instantly memorable organ-infused number, Things Happen, which was quickly followed by the fuzzy guitar and bass-heavy, If I Wanted Someone.
Apologizing for taking the stage a full hour after the scheduled start time, the group kept the vibe airy and poppy through One Of Us and A Little Bit Of Everything, prior to funking it up with Roll With The Punches.
The California folk sound that the group is often identified with shone through on Time Spent In Los Angeles and a not-so-obvious nod to ’80s Jackson Browne on set-closers, From The Right Angle and the gorgeous Tom Petty dedication, All Your Favourite Bands.
Seeing Dawes under any circumstance was a cool experience. Last night’s hockey rink gig was one that only made you want to see them in a theatre or club.
A good band by any stretch . . . a great band in the right venue.