Avett brothers madison square garden

By Scott Bernstein Apr 9, 2016 • 2:04 pm PDT

Images by: Andrew Blackstein

Words by: Scott Bernstein

The Avett Brothers & Brandi Carlile :: 4.08.16 :: Madison Square Garden :: NYC

Two artists achieved a dream on Friday night by performing at one of the world’s most famous venues, Madison Square Garden in New York City. Both Brandi Carlile and The Avett Brothers took time during their sets to offer heartfelt thanks to the crowd for making their dream come true. Each act showed why they deserved the honor at The Garden last night.

Carlile kicked off the evening with an hour-long set that focused on material from 2015’s The Firewatcher’s Daughter. The 34-year-old Carlile was in fine voice and backed by a superb band. She had the crowd in the palm of her band as Brandi’s energetic stage presence was on display throughout the set. Brandi and her band ended the set with a gorgeous cover of Led Zeppelin’s “Going To California” to the delight of the audience.

The Avett Brothers hit the MSG stage like a tornado. Seth and Scott Avett and the rest of their band ran around the stage and even through the floor at points of their set. The crowd ate up every minute of it and looking around it seemed as if everyone knew all the words to each song with the exception of the handful of new tunes The Avetts played. Early in their set, The Avett Brothers debuted a cover of Merle Haggard’s “Mama Tried.” Later in the evening they would perform “My Favorite Memory,” another song by the recently deceased country legend.

Seth and Scott Avett played a few songs without their band mates towards the middle of their set. For “Murder In The City,” the Avett boys welcomed Carlile who beautifully harmonized with the brothers. On June 24, The Avett Brothers will release a new studio album True Sadness. On Friday they showed off a handful of tunes from the LP including the catchy “Ain’t No Man,” the bittersweet “I Wish I Was” and the powerful title track “True Sadness.” Each of the songs fit nicely into the set and should be staples for years to come.

The Avetts ended the evening with a two-song encore of “Laundry Room” and “I And Love And You.” It’s not everyday you get to see such deserving musicians as Brandi Carlile and The Avett Brothers live out their dreams. While Brandi and The Avetts won’t forget what went down at MSG on Friday night any time soon, neither will those in attendance.

Watch The Avett Brothers debut a cover of “Mama Tried” as shot by DCRANGERFAN:

Here’s Brandi Carlile teaming with Scott & Seth on “Murder In The City” via DCRANGERFAN:

Photos

[Best_Wordpress_Gallery id=”234″ gal_title=”20160408 Avett Brothers New York City Andrew Blackstein”]

Setlist

The Avett Brothers at Madison Square Garden

• Apr 8, 2016
• New York, NY
• Spring Tour 2016

• Talk on Indolence
• Another Is Waiting
• Head Full of Doubt/Road Full of Promise
• Ain't No Man
• Paranoia in B-Flat Major
• Mama Tried  
• Down With the Shine
• True Sadness
• Vanity
• Kick Drum Heart
• Murder in the City
• I Wish I Was
• Le reel du pendu / Les bars de la prison
• Die Die Die
• Satan Pulls the Strings
• My Favorite Memory  
• Country Blues  
• Living of Love
• Slight Figure of Speech

Encore

• Laundry Room
• I and Love and You

Setlist

Brandi Carlile at Madison Square Garden

• Apr 8, 2016
• New York, NY

• Again Today
• Raise Hell
• Wherever Is Your Heart
• The Eye
• The Things I Regret
• The Story
• Mainstream Kid
• Pride and Joy
• Going to California  

Loading band summary

via facebook.com

American folk rock band, The Avett Brothers, energized Madison Square Garden on April 8.

The Avett Brothers’ slow-burning alternative folk performance on Friday, April 8 was not one to be missed, as they brought their signature sound to the arena of Madison Square Garden.

The evening began at 8:00 p.m. sharp, as alternative-country singer-songwriter Brandi Carlile took to the stage. For the majority of her set, the audience slowly  shuffled in, finding where their seats were located, then out and in again for the endless beer runs that seem to accompany any country-esque concert. Carlile did not seem to fully capture their attention until she sang the first few words of her 2007 hit, “The Story.” When she began to play, I realized what all the hype was about; Carlile eased into her upper register, showing off her powerful belt and backing off to end the song with a sweet falsetto on the last line, “New York City, I was made for you.” Carlile’s stage presence only continued to improve throughout the rest of the set, covering Led Zeppelin’s “Going To California” before exiting the stage to bring out the Avett Brothers.

The Avett Brothers brought a certain high level of energy to the stage that is unsurpassable, making even the most excited member of the crowd feel like they are in desperate need of an espresso shot. “Talk On Indolence” proved to be the perfect intro to a 21 song set, kicking off with fast-paced shouting and lyrics about getting drunk in the city.

Of the few Avett Brothers shows I have had the chance to go to, this one was slightly lacking — perhaps it comes with the territory of arena shows, but there is something about being hit with a wall of sound in a packed standing venue, especially when seeing a band with a certain affection for long, improvised instrumentals. The acoustics are stellar at MSG, which made the concise harmonies of “Ain’t No Man” especially clear, but took away from the drama of the breakdowns in songs like “Head Full of Doubt/Road Full of Promise” and “Vanity.”

Carlile joined Seth and Scott Avett for an acoustic rendition of “Murder in the City,” changing the lyrics of the third verse to sing of her love for her wife and daughter, a lyric Seth Avett has changed in the past to announce the birth of
his children. 

The Avett Brothers inserted a few new songs from their upcoming album into the set, most notably the title ballad “True Sadness.” The rest of the set was filled out with a proper mix of songs from their previous records, along with covers of “Mama Tried” and “My Favorite Memory” as a tribute to recently-deceased Merle Haggard.

Fans such as myself hoping to hear “If It’s The Beaches” were disappointed, as it was cut from the setlist. Although, fans were pleased by the songs chosen to remain at the end of the set, as they were treated to a consecutive performance of “Laundry Room” and “I And Love
And You.”

If their MSG concert was any signifier, the Avett Brothers’ upcoming album is surely not to be missed. “True Sadness” is due to be released on June 24.

A version of this article appeared in the Monday, April 11 print edition. Email Allison Stubblebine at [email protected]

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