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I'd been hyping up this show pretty much all damn Bonnaweekend, but it fully met my expectations. Really, there were so many great acts I got to see at the festival (some old and familiar, some brand new to my ears), but Band of Horses and I, we've been going steady for several months now. Things are getting serious. And if you ask me, there's no better time to see a band live than when you're right in the thick of that phase. I was a bit late to jump on the Bandwagon of Horses, having immersed myself in Everything All The Time and Cease To Begin a decent while after their respective releases. But in the end, it seems as though my timing couldn't have been better.
I descended upon the grounds of the Which Stage as Andrew Bird closed his set, snagging myself a spot clutching the front railing. The South Carolina-via-Seattle band took the stage while the sun still blazed, donning shades and attire that had a distinctly Southern flavor to it. Ben Bridwell, in black button-up, boot-cut jeans and full scruff, opened the show on pedal steel for "Monsters." (Speaking of scruff, these guys may as well be called Band of Beards. Between a full-on beard, 'stache, mutton chops and five o'clock shadow, none of these dudes could've been comfortable in the Manchester heat.)
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I love Band of Horses, sportin' two of Asheville's finest gentlemen...Bill Reynolds and Tyler Ramsey! Go Echo Mountain!!!
I love Band of Horses as well, but I've gotta say I was a little disappointed with their live performance. To me they didn't sound nearly as good as they do on their albums and the songs were exactly the same (with the exception of the complete FAIL attempted by speeding up one of their slower songs from Cease to Begin, the name of which song escapes me at the moment). All in all, they were ok, but I was pretty disappointed, especially after just watching Andrew Bird completely dominate his set on the same stage.
yea...I wasn't feelin Band of Horses all too much either. The Yeah Yeah Yeah's were awesome though. They reminded me of how much I loved their sound. They're also going to be featured in Fusefest: Best of Bonnaroo concert special on Saturday when they should the best performances. Woohoo go Yeah's! Best of Bonnaroo
I too felt that BoH fell short of my expectations, but I came all the way from KC to see them for the first time. Most of their songs sounded slower than on the album, and I was yearning for them to speed it up, or really build up the energy with Islands On the Coast. I'll still croon along to their albums regularly in my car with hopes of seeing them again live, where they'll gloriously redeem themselves to me.