Avett Brothers - Glasgow, 22nd August 2011

Photos/Words: Stephen McLeod

Folk music often gets a bit of a bum rap from those in the more traditional rock world, dismissed as soft, samey and un-imaginative. In truth, more often than not, those that grasp the banjos have got more authenticity and passion than most guitar-based bands will ever be able to achieve… even when attached to a major label like Columbia.

The Avett Brothers are one such group, comprising of brothers Scott and Seth Avett, as well as Bob Crawford on the double bass, Joe Kwon on cello, and Jacob Edward on drums. Their fiery folk tales have been spinning on our iPod hard-disks for months, so when they landed in Glasgow as part of their latest tour, we had to go along for ourselves to see how they fared in person.

…and fare well they did. Nestled in the cavernous tunnels comprising ‘the Arches’ that lie beneath the main train station in the city, the venue is probably the only one that could play host to this lot and do them justice. Instead of feeling like another date in a string of shows on a commercial tour, the cold stone walls almost seemed cosy as the guys bashed through tracks spanning most, if not all of their time spent together.

Hinting that there may well be times on the road that left them tired and possibly under-appreciated, the band declared that shows like this were what reminded them why they do what they do… and it showed. Through sheer passion for what they were playing, they bounced around the stage, flinging cellos, double bass and banjos around like I’ve never seen before. Come to think of it, why is it that a double bass is such a cool instrument? Rock music definitely needs more double bass. Take note unsigned bands. Don’t let folk have it all to itself.

Every single part was delivered with total gusto and heartfelt zeal. There wasn’t a note out of place in their harmonies, that managed to avoid sounding over-practiced and clinical. They sang parts softly and had the entire crowd singing right back with them in unison; they screamed with passion and every single person cheered back. Whether it’s the Celtic roots that make folk music of any genre resonate with a Scottish crowd, or just because they can appreciate great music, the room was filled with admiration for the lads from North Carolina.

The topics of the tracks are fairly straightforward: hangover regret, desires to get married, and missing trains in order to avoid people you don’t want to speak to… but the Avett Brothers have a remarkable talent for telling a story in such a way that you feel both sad, happy, and enchanted all at once.

It takes a lot to do that. It takes a lot to play banjo like they do. It takes a lot to demonstrate such creativity and passion whilst touring the world. It takes a lot to stay true to your musical roots and make it your own. It’s about time more of us started appreciating the folk rockers.