PHOTOS: LAURA KILGUS JENKINS AND CHRIS JENKINS | Dispatch rocked a packed Blue Hills Bank Pavilion situated on Massachusetts Bay on September 20, as part of the first evening of a two-night stand to wrap up their American summer tour. Beginning in Vail, CO in June, Dispatch’s Summer Tour 2018 spanned the US where they played the iconic Red Rocks Amphitheatre, Central Park’s SummerStage in NYC, and two nights in Boston.
One of America’s most successful independent groups played to a packed hometown crowd which consisted of family, friends, and fans from a decades-long career. This heartfelt performance consisted of songs that have not been performed in many years, such as “Cover This” with newer tracks like “Wild Ones” which became an instant classic to their catalog of songs. Location 13, a collection of songs written during their previous album Location 12, will be released on November 16, 2018. The Boston crowd was treated to a cut off this unreleased album called “Don Juan Tango.”
Known and dedicated advocates of gun control, Stokes addressed his concerns and hopes that the country continues to seek effective efforts to reduce gun violence in America. In February, Dispatch released a new song titled “Dear Congress, (17)” following the fatal Stoneman Douglas High School shooting in Parkland, Florida. “We just don’t want to see it keep happening,” said Stokes. “ We want to call for universal background checks and just gun safety laws that make sense.”
Dispatch’s set list contained songs from all points of their career and appealed to a mixed crowd that loved both old and new material. Drummer and vocalist Brad Corrigan joined in on guitar with bandmate Chadwick Stokes for the song “Passerby” which had the crowd jumping early. Recent additions to Dispatch include Rx Bandits frontman Matt Embree and percussionist Jon Reilly. The talented Embree and Reilly created a dynamic and full sound, amplifying Dispatch’s performance.
Dispatch announced an acoustic fall tour in the Midwest which will mirror their latest winter acoustic tour and include releases from Location 13.
