We are on our way back to Boston after catching The Lone Bellow at Underground Arts in Philly last night. Our hearts are full, and we are especially grateful that we will be seeing them for a small show in New York next week, before we enter what we fear to be a very sad and long dry spell.
Before we talk about last night’s show, though, we feel compelled to say a little word or two about audiences and opening acts. Take this as a little PSA if you will. We know that opening acts can be tricky. They are often not very well known musicians, and more often than not, they are not the act that brought in the crowd. We will even go so far as to say that it is a rare occasion that we leave shows feeling excited about the opening act. Of course, sometimes you get lucky and discover something incredible (*cough* The Lone Bellow *cough*), and for this reason alone we think it is always worth showing up for the opener. OK, and if we’re being completely honest, we like being close to the stage and there’s usually no way to do that without arriving early. But here’s the thing, and I suppose there’s no delicate way to say this, but please, PLEASE, be respectful during the opening act. We are often astounded and embarrassed by how many people continue on loudly with their conversations, seemingly oblivious to the fact that there is a performance taking place right before their eyes. We, admittedly, are introverts and nothing is more terrifying to us than the idea of having to be in front of a group of people we don’t know, especially with so much exposed vulnerability. We can only imagine how incredibly difficult it is to go on stage night after night, only to be largely ignored by the audience. You know your mama taught you better!
* stepping off our soapbox*
Hey, have we mentioned that we love seeing The Lone Bellow live? We feel incredibly grateful that we were able to make this trip to Philadelphia to see them, and catch up with a dear friend, who after seeing them is now also a fan. Perhaps there will come a time when we are less impressed by this band (doubtful), but at this point the number of shows we have each seen is in the teens, and we continue to be nothing but blown away.
Last night the band took the stage shortly after 10pm, and kept going for the next 2 hours. We love that they do not stick to the same exact set list, meaning that every show feels like a new one. We got a good blend of songs from both albums, as well as a few surprises. And, as always, the feelings were coming on strong last night. We love how this band moves us in so many ways. In particular, we are finding that “Marietta” about wrecks us. We’re not sure what it is about hearing that song live that brings us to tears, but just add it to the list of inexplicable moments that always seem to happen at one of their shows.
They were definitely having a good time with one another last night, as demonstrated by busting into Boyz II Men; making references to “Rocky;” Zach sharing personal stories about kissing a girl as a lad while wearing his Champion shorts; and a sweet but funny story about acquiring his grandfather’s guitar.
Before we talk about last night’s show, though, we feel compelled to say a little word or two about audiences and opening acts. Take this as a little PSA if you will. We know that opening acts can be tricky. They are often not very well known musicians, and more often than not, they are not the act that brought in the crowd. We will even go so far as to say that it is a rare occasion that we leave shows feeling excited about the opening act. Of course, sometimes you get lucky and discover something incredible (*cough* The Lone Bellow *cough*), and for this reason alone we think it is always worth showing up for the opener. OK, and if we’re being completely honest, we like being close to the stage and there’s usually no way to do that without arriving early. But here’s the thing, and I suppose there’s no delicate way to say this, but please, PLEASE, be respectful during the opening act. We are often astounded and embarrassed by how many people continue on loudly with their conversations, seemingly oblivious to the fact that there is a performance taking place right before their eyes. We, admittedly, are introverts and nothing is more terrifying to us than the idea of having to be in front of a group of people we don’t know, especially with so much exposed vulnerability. We can only imagine how incredibly difficult it is to go on stage night after night, only to be largely ignored by the audience. You know your mama taught you better!
* stepping off our soapbox*
Hey, have we mentioned that we love seeing The Lone Bellow live? We feel incredibly grateful that we were able to make this trip to Philadelphia to see them, and catch up with a dear friend, who after seeing them is now also a fan. Perhaps there will come a time when we are less impressed by this band (doubtful), but at this point the number of shows we have each seen is in the teens, and we continue to be nothing but blown away.
Last night the band took the stage shortly after 10pm, and kept going for the next 2 hours. We love that they do not stick to the same exact set list, meaning that every show feels like a new one. We got a good blend of songs from both albums, as well as a few surprises. And, as always, the feelings were coming on strong last night. We love how this band moves us in so many ways. In particular, we are finding that “Marietta” about wrecks us. We’re not sure what it is about hearing that song live that brings us to tears, but just add it to the list of inexplicable moments that always seem to happen at one of their shows.
They were definitely having a good time with one another last night, as demonstrated by busting into Boyz II Men; making references to “Rocky;” Zach sharing personal stories about kissing a girl as a lad while wearing his Champion shorts; and a sweet but funny story about acquiring his grandfather’s guitar.
Brian is playing the guitar given to Zach by his grandfather. I guess it had been left out in the barn with the empty feed sacks, but Zach was able to get it working again.
But one of the funniest moments came when Jason Pipkin surprised the band by breaking into the music from “The Man from Snowy River.” Brian “Eye of the Tiger” Elmquist (trust us, he really likes playing that song!) told Jason that hearing that song in that moment was “the best thing that has ever happened to me on stage!” Incidentally, Zach is hoping we can “make it a popular movie” by hash tagging it as much as possible.
We were so appreciative that the band was kind enough to stick around and chat with fans after the show. They are always so generous with their time. We wish we could be in New York tonight and tomorrow, but our families’ schedules require us to get back to reality. But we’ll be at the Soundcheck session at the Greene Space this Monday afternoon, and in the meantime will be keeping an eye out for any new shows added to their tour schedule.
p.s. The Man From Snowy River is streaming on Netflix...
p.s. The Man From Snowy River is streaming on Netflix...
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