Photo by Crackerfarm

Sheldon Concert Hall, St. Louis

As I walked up the steep flight of steps of the Sheldon Concert Hall, I realized this was going to be a much different Avett Brothers show than I had seen in the past. Just the fact that the Sheldon is just around the corner from the Fabulous Fox gave the sense that this would be a more highbrow event than the bar setting that often hosts a St. Louis show for the Avett Brothers.

After being greeted by an actual doorman and then given polite information about the hall by an usher inside, there was time to get a drink at the full bar or take a walk through the art gallery. Though the aisles are narrow and seats are a bit tighter than one might be used to, the concert hall is gorgeous with hard wood décor and trim, giving off an almost reverent feel that appropriately matched the feelings of the audience for the beloved band about to take the stage.

The show started with Scott Avett taking the stage alone with his banjo for "Murdered In The City" with Seth Avett coming out with his guitar in the middle of the song. Not long after, Bob Crawford appeared onstage playing the upright bass as the band began to please the very loyal audience with old and new favorites like "Distraction #74" and "Salvation Song." Eventually the newest and "fourth Avett Brother," Joe Kwon, made his way to the stage with the cello and the band continued with their full, acoustic sound.

The crowd's demeanor covered the spectrum of emotion with shouting and screaming one moment and then solemn quiet the next. This is a direct reflection of the Avett Brothers' music. One minute they had the crowd bouncing up and down and slapping their thighs to "Wanted Man" and the next they held their hats over their chests and swayed side to side to "Ballad of Love & Hate."

The place pretty much became unglued when the opening notes of "November Blue" were played. The song is one of The Avetts' original hits and still a crowd favorite, though it is rarely played at their shows any longer. It is sort of their "Stairway to Heaven," which in turn seems to cause the band to shy away from it. In fact, they even wrote a song called "Denouncing November Blue," which was also played that night.

The band ended the main set with "Go To Sleep" which inspired the crowd to join in with a collective clap and singing "La, La, La".  The audience continued as the members exited the stage and all the way through the band's break. Eventually the Avetts returned for their encore and joined right back in with the audience to finish the song.

The Avett Brothers are a band that blends several elements of music into a very rich and full sound. Scott's full, deep, vocals add another dimension to the songs and are often haunting and sweet. Their songs lyrically teeter on being cliché but never seem to make that fatal step. Instead, they stay accessible in prose, topic and emotion to nearly every member of the audience and they make sure you have fun through the whole experience. Going to an Avett Brothers show is a lot like going to spend time with your favorite cousins in the country. | Ryan Parker

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