Band of Horses

It may not have quite been a full house at the East Brunswick last Tuesday, but it certainly would not have been far off. The crowd that had amassed to witness South Carolina’s indie-rock darlings Band of Horses were definitely a varied bunch, however their one overwhelming similarity seemed to be an intention to save their collective enthusiasm for the headlining act.

Second support act James McCaan’s Dirty Skirt Band met with a lukewarm reception. In many ways, this response was justified. While the former Drones member’s songs appear to be solid, he and his band lacked the necessary energy and enthusiasm to bring them to life. This is a condition common among support bands, one which perhaps stems from the knowledge that punters are not there specifically to see them. Nevertheless, it would have been nice to see the band make a greater effort to establish themselves and their sound, rather than shying away from a relatively silent audience. Unfortunately, it was something of a wasted opportunity for McCaan and his Dirty Skirts – especially considering the blistering performance of their successors.

Taking the stage with grins and announcing that they were ‘here to play some songs’, Band of Horses launched into the Interpol-esque Wicked Gil, from their celebrated album of earlier this year Everything All The Time. The perfect introductory track, Wicked Gil could not have established a more powerful juxtaposition between Ben Bridwell & Co. and their support act. The volume was up, the groove was strong, the energy was abundant. And the crowd was loving it.

Afterwards, Bridwell announced, ‘here’s another song – you may know this one.’ When he plucked the opening notes to The Funeral, the surprise was tangible. As the album’s loveliest track and an overwhelming favourite among fans, most assumed it would feature later in the set. But Band of Horses are not a band to pander to expectation. Their set was divided jaggedly in half, the first thirty minutes featuring eight of the ten tracks from Everything All The Time while the latter half was a chance for the band – or, often, Bridwell on his own – to explore new material and re-examine that of others.

The covers were a source of delight for some and frustration for others; Bridwell prefacing each with which of the two the audience could expect. Introducing Gram Parson’s Return of the Grievous Angel, he cheerfully admitted, ‘This one’s going to be a train-wreck, I know it.’ What followed was a shambolic though oddly beautiful tribute to the country legend, interrupted sporadically by muttering and profanity when a bung note was hit or a wrong chord played. While diehard Parsons fans in the audience may have been gritting their teeth and staring aggressively into their beers during Bridwell’s haphazard attempt, it was touching and very refreshing to see an artist side with their heart over their ego and play a song they love, knowing full-well their own limitations.

The rest of the band took their places on stage once again for a cover of David Allen Coe’s You Never Even Call Me By My Name. Through little more than sheer force of enthusiasm, the ‘Horses managed to transform a rather stale country excursion into a stomping, grinning romp in the playground. Indeed, this fervour was one winning feature of Band of Horses’ set. The smiles rarely left their faces and Ben Bridwell’s constant professions of love, trivial tales and mock heckling generated an atmosphere of fun and liveliness.

Bridwell’s vocals are another factor that cannot be ignored when discussing Band of Horses. Partly melancholic yet strangely forceful, he is an arresting vocalist and possesses a style and tone that exudes authenticity. The live context does him far greater justice than their studio recordings and he is largely responsible for establishing Band of Horses as one of those rare outfits that sound far better live than they do on record.

The best part about witnessing Band of Horses perform is that the experience contributes to an understanding of their album. Anybody who picked up a copy of Everything All The Time and arrived at the gig out of curiosity would have gone home convinced that what they initially thought to be a good, solid album was, in fact, a work of musical genius.

Band of Horses create anthemic yet ultimately simple tunes with a tremendous amount of soul. The kind of music that you listen to and love, without necessarily understanding why. Last Tuesday, a couple of hundred happy punters went home a little closer to figuring out the mystery.

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