Nathaniel Rateliff & the Night Sweats Heat Up the Green

August 4, 2017

When we first heard Nathaniel Rateliff & the Night Sweats’ hit song “S.O.B.”, we couldn’t get it out of our heads. For days on end, we were humming that catchy chorus into our pints, unable to think of anything else. Eventually, we actually listened to the rest of the band’s self-titled inaugural album, and, not surprisingly, the whole thing was just as magical as its hit track. With R&B and soul leanings in some songs, and a hearty folk feel on others, the whole album deserves every bit of praise that’s been heaped onto it since its release in 2015.

Imagine blending the high-energy performance of the Blues Brothers with the singer-songwriter  Americana of Johnny Cash, and then adding in the soul-heavy riffs and rhythms from the Black Keys. Boom, that’s Nathaniel Rateliff & the Night Sweats. And that’s why we were so excited to welcome Rateliff and his crew to the Shelburne Museum this week as part of our Concerts on the Green series.

Raging Riffs

The sold-out show kicked off with a raging set by Low Cut Connie, led by piano man Adam Weiner, a performer who embodies the stage presence and energy of Chuck Berry and Freddy Mercury, combined. It’s fair to say that Low Cut Connie performed the best opening set of the season so far.

With just enough time to grab a bite and a beverage between sets, the Night Sweats came out swinging with a string of their foot-stomping classics like “I Need Never Get Old,” “Look It Here” and “Shake,” interspersed with a few of their mellower sing-alongs, including “Wasting Time”.

Closing out their set with “S.O.B.,” the band saw the sold-out crowd continue to sing the vocal rhythm after the band left the stage. As the lighting director continued to pulse the lights with the beat, the band returned to the stage to finish the song.

Indeed, the Shelburne Museum green had the sweats last night, in more ways than one!

Breaking a Sweat

Nathaniel Rateliff, the driving musical force behind this talented seven-man group, rose to fame in the Denver music scene, where he gained a loyal following. After releasing three solo albums and one album as Nathaniel Rateliff and the Wheel, he shot to national fame with Nathaniel Rateliff & the Night Sweats. And after appearing on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon in August 2015, the band’s success was firmly cemented. Fans loved the band’s vintage soul feel, popping horn section, and can’t-get-it-out-of-your-head riffs.

More recently, the band teamed up with vocal quartet DeVotchKa and solo artist Joe Sampson for a benefit concert in Denver to support Project Worthmore, a nonprofit organization that helps the Colorado refugee population. And that’s a cause we can really get behind.

Want to get in on the action? There are more Concerts on the Green coming up! Check them out here and snag your tickets today.