The Perfect Space

You can't buy nights like tonight, well ok I had to buy tickets, but the joy of good live music, the affection for a band or a piece of music, that a group of people come together to to enjoy the feast with such different stories but somehow for a couple of hours hanging out in the same part of a story before dispersing. I've no doubt that those who were there tonight will often say "you remember Manchester 2013".

Matt was 19 yesterday and he was at home with Shannon and we were joined by his fine friend Pete to celebrate with an Avett Brothers gig in Manchester.
Matt and I were trying to place in time when we discovered them, it was about 2 or 3 years ago, Matt had done some mischief to his finger and was sitting bored in hospital waiting for them to fix it, I bought him a copy of a music magazine. In it we both read in the following days an article about the eponymously named Avett Brothers who had just passed through the UK and had done a live set of Radio 1, which we listened to then bought an album and really loved them from the start.

There's something great about "discovering" something new musically and when they aren't a big phenomenon then the illusion of intimacy like you might be their only fans this side of the pond only increases the affection. We wore that knowingly like dads and sons do.

Pete was introduced to them by Matt and Shannon had discovered them before she discovered Matt and was wearing the T shirt having already seen then live back home in Toronto.

They are much bigger in their native North America but apart from a few brief sets, I think tonight was only their second headline gig in the UK (they played London last night). From the first chord to the last bow, they had us - the crowd lypsynced, sang, danced, smiled, laughed and cried and were delighted to discover that these guys were not one of those bands who are better in the studio, but one where performance and crowd and undeniable talent are are kind of alchemy.

Wiki describes them as "the Avett Brothers combine bluegrass, country, punk, pop melodies, folk, rock and roll, honky tonk, and ragtime to produce a sound described by the San Francisco Chronicle as having the "heavy sadness of Townes Van Zandt, the light pop concision of Buddy Holly, the tuneful jangle of the Beatles, the raw energy of the Ramones"

Great to have shared the night with Matt and Shannon and Pete, we were there guys, you'll remember that.

I leave you with
a photo of Mr Joe Kwon, each band needs a Mr Cool and this guys is just that and his strings were awesome - thank you Joe
and
the sounds of the Avett Brothers The Perfect Space one of their mellow tracks, thank you Seth and Scott.