So I’ve seen the Avett Brothers several times now and their shows keep getting bigger and better. Are these guys the best songwriters of my generation? They certainly could be as one song after another cherry picked from a vast catalog of genius was enough to have me in awe—along with several thousand others for almost two hours.
As I was watching what has evolved into a seven piece band on stage all I could think was f*ck Mumford and Sons—the Avetts are the real leaders of this bluegrass, folky, rocking old-time country revival movement. Not to dig too much at Mumford as I think the Avetts are doing just fine with another sold out return to the stunning Greek Theatre in Berkeley—but it does beg the question, why does the former seem to be so much more popular and get all the credit for the genre?
In my opinion, it’s a consistency thing. The Avetts have been at it much longer and have built a solid foundation of insanely passionate fans while Mumford and Sons pretty much came out of nowhere, had a few big hits, and were at one point lauded as the “biggest band in the world” before going rogue and throwing their fan base a curveball by going electric, akin to Bob Dylan. It reminds me of the time Radiohead stopped writing songs and instead went for “free-form jazz explorations in front of festival crowds.” While the gamble paid off for Radiohead, I think it fell flat for Mumford.
But enough about my boredom with the mainstream and hipsters who don’t think for themselves—back to the greatness I witnessed at the Greek. Coming out of the gates all guns a-blazing, the Avetts opened up with the foot stomping, soon to be Summertime anthem “Ain’t No Man” from the forthcoming new studio album True Sadness. The brothers kept the mood high and the party going as they transitioned seamlessly right into the kazoo powered “The D Bag Rag” from 2003’s A Carolina Jubilee.
Other highlights from the evening included the set list staples “Headful of Doubt” and “Laundry Room,” but the absolute stunner of the night for me was “February Seven.” I don’t think I’ve ever heard the Avetts do this one so perfectly. Maybe it was the place in the set list, maybe it was the gorgeous setting, whatever the hell it was—the song was truly stunning and those 4 minutes were worth the price of admission alone.
Twenty-two songs, an almost two-hour set, and the energy of an arena show in a classic theatre setting made for one of my top shows of 2016 so far. The new album True Sadness will be available on June 24 and you can pre-order it here. Surprisingly it doesn’t seem to have a release date on vinyl yet. Maybe the pressing plants have truly reached capacity, but this one needs to take precedence—especially over any Mumford and Sons pressings.
THE MILK CARTON KIDS
Check out hi-res shots from the show in the gallery here.
