Well, what a night! Not only did we get treated to an amazing double bill of Grace Potter and the Avett Brothers but every performer gave everything they had. If you know about these artists, you'll probably be as perplexed as I am that they are not better known. Grace Potter opened the show and she has such a beautiful voice which is as perfect live as on any studio recording. She seemed to be enjoying her set and I think only a small percentage of the audience knew much about her but after a couple of songs, she was winning people over big time, not least because of the quality of the musicians in the Nocturnals (Graces' band). Her performance was polished and appreciated. She promised that they would be back and I will certainly hope so. She kicked off with Never go back and her set also included Stars, Apologies, Medicine, Paris, Goodbye Kiss, Water pt1, the Lion the beat the beast - Great set Grace, thanks!
When the Avett's took to the stage, the place was buzzing. They didn't disappoint and the energy they were putting in and personality was as enjoyable as the music. It felt friendly and I felt part of it rather than just an observer and a band running through the motions. As a long time Avett fan, I was hoping they would play a good mix of old and new stuff and they did just that - Kicking off with Laundry Room and running through a real mix of old & new, fast and slow stuff...a really great collection of songs. I was really pleased when they played Paranoia and then also Talk on Indolence (after Scott had announced they were slowing stuff down - ha ha). When Seth played Ballad of Love and Hate, the audience gave him massive respect and you could have heard a pin drop - Most unusual and I was Nothing short of thankful for that (sorry for the Avett pun). Another great moment was when the 2 brothers sang unaccompanied 'Backwards with time'. It was one of those moments where you felt you were in a room with just them, just hanging out....and that's kind of how they made us feel the whole show. The guys had no massive egos getting in the way, they just seemed to be as happy as all the beaming faces I could see that we were all having some fun together. 'We would play all night if we could' said Scott 'we would stay all night if we could too' said a guy behind me and I echo that sentiment. The guys came back for an encore but with a 10pm curfew at the venue and a 2 hour set list, time ran out. So now all we can do is remember that night as one of the best ever and hope that Scott and Seth come back to see us again.
The Ritz @
- Manchester @
- Sat 16 Mar 2013 @
Favourite moment: When I realised that they were going to play Talk on Indolence which is one of my favorite ever songs! @
Setlist: Sorry I didn't make notes @
Opening act(s): Grace Potter & the Nocturnals @