The Avett Brothers Give It Their All at the Shelburne Museum

September 6, 2017

Every time the Avett Brothers come through Vermont, we make it a point to catch them. There’s something about their laid-back folk-rock vibe that feels so genuine and authentic — the perfect music for lounging on the porch in your finest flannel or bopping around the kitchen making a sundae. And after seeing them burn it up on some of our favorite classics with Bob Weir at LOCKN’ 2017, we’re even more impressed by their versatility

And this past Sunday, we were lucky enough to be able to host them at the Shelburne Museum as part of our Concerts on the Green series. Fans from all over flocked to Shelburne, VT to enjoy the Americana bluegrass twang of this iconic foursome during their Labor Day weekend. The evening was a complete success, despite the soggy, 55-degree weather (that's Vermont for you). Fans snuggled up under umbrellas with their Ben & Jerry's, ready to brave anything for their favorite tunes. Fans of the opening performer, Nicole Atkins, were particularly devoted, lining up in droves more than an hour before the doors opened to get prime spots for her show.

When the Avett Brothers took the stage, they displayed their signature versatility with renditions of jump-up-and-down tunes like "Kick Drum Heart" and sentimental classics like "Murder in the City". There was an added note emotion that evening, as it was the last show for keyboardist Paul Defiglia. Fans who missed the show (or who just can't get enough of that Avett magic) can look forward to "May it Last", a documentary about the band coming out September 12th.

 

The Avett Brothers Take the Music World By Storm

The group hails from Mount Pleasant, North Carolina, where brothers Scott and Seth Avett started playing music together as children. Through high school, each brother had their own respective band, which they eventually merged into one. When that project ultimately broke up, the brothers couldn’t stop making music together, so they welcomed bassist Bob Crawford on board and called themselves The Avett Brothers. Their first full-length album, Country Was, was released in 2001, featuring raw, minimally-produced pieces.

It wasn’t until just before the release of their fifth full-length album, Emotionalism, in 2007 that cellist Joe Kwon was added to the line-up. And from there, it was nothing but success for The Avett Brothers. Their warm, inviting stage presence drew in crowds from coast to coast, and they started releasing albums every couple of years, between tours all over the country. Fans loved that seeing them always felt communal — more like they’re playing with you than at you, with plenty of room for the audience to clap and sing along.

The band hit a career peak in 2016 with the release of True Sadness, which reached #3 on the Billboard charts and was nominated for a Grammy this past February for Best Americana Album.

And their runaway success hasn’t stopped the group from supporting the causes they believe in. For the past five years, they have teamed up with a North Carolina soft drink company to host a benefit concert called ‘Legendary Giveback’ to raise money for three unique causes: Wags & Wishes, which supports pet adoption and healthy pets; Hungry For Music, which gives musical instruments to children in need; and St. Jude’s Children’s Research Hospital, which is working to defeat childhood cancer.

Don’t miss out on the Concerts on the Green fun! There’s still one more show coming up: The Head and the Heart on Sunday, September 24th.

Photo credit: Rick Levinson/Higher Ground