No surprise, it was hot Friday. I mean, we’re talking triple digits into the night. Add in around 5,000 concert goers sitting shoulder to shoulder in the uncovered Raleigh Amphitheater, relief was scant save for the air conditioned bathrooms.
But by the time Raleigh darlings The Rosebuds took the stage ahead of Triangle expat Bon Iver, the heat was on the verge of being forgotten, giving way to a set comprised of mostly new tunes from the ‘Buds chilly new album.
After catching The Rosebuds during their June album release show at Kings, I knew the songs were solid then, and a month on the road could only better them for the band’s return to its home state.
And that it did.
The tracks from Loud Planes Fly Low sounded as effortless as those from Night of the Furies, though the crowd clearly still favored those older cuts — standing and singing along with “Cemetery Lawns” and “Nice Fox.”
With the band cutting its teeth between here and Wilmington, that shouldn’t come as any surprise as these older songs have a special place in the hearts of Raleighites. And by the sound of The Rosebuds’ banter with the crowd, Raleigh holds a special place in the band’s hearts as well.
While the ‘Buds have been on the road with Bon Iver since the tour’s start on July 22, it is especially fitting the two bands would take the stage together in Raleigh.
While living in the City of Oaks, Bon Iver’s Justin Vernon established a kinship with the ‘Buds, going so far as to produce the band’s 2007 album Night of the Furies. Vernon even lent vocals to the track “Silja Line” and guitar to “Get Up Get Out,” “Silence By The Lakeside” and “When The Lights Went Dim.”
As for Vernon, he’s come a long way since those Raleigh days. He recently released a critically acclaimed sophomore full-length, he’s teamed up with Kanye West and his band is now an impressive nine members deep.
The lineup had the makings of becoming muddled, but the result was as tight and orchestrated as we’ve come to expect from Bon Iver — a result that was nearly album perfect.
Bon Iver opened its set with the epic “Perth,” which was made especially epic with dual drummers S. Carey and Matt McCaughan, and Colin Stetson’s overwhelming bass sax. After bouncing between tracks from Bon Iver, Bon Iver and 2009′s Blood Bank, Bon Iver ambitiously took on a cover of Bjork’s “Who Is It?,” complete with an impressive beat boxing demonstration from Reggie Pace.
The cover comfortably segued into the second half of the set, which had the band bouncing between tracks from Bon Iver, Bon Iver and 2008′s For Emma, Forever Ago. The latter of which garnered the most energy from the crowd. Again, Raleigh loves its classic bangers.
Although Vernon needn’t invite the already starry-eyed crowd, he called for a sing-along of “What might have been lost” during the main set’s closer, “The Wolves (Act I & II).” The result was beautiful, and it was clear Vernon was appreciative of the crowd that had come to support him in the city that’s come just as far as he has in the years since his departure.
Noticeably absent from the set was “Skinny Love,” the lead single from Bon Iver’s 2008 debut. But that’s what encores are for. Right?
With his band encircling two mics at his either side, Vernon launched into the much anticipated “Skinny Love,” only to be met with the crackling of a dirty line.
In an act of improvisation and true musicianship, Vernon unplugged his guitar, pulled a mic in close to his sound hole and wow’d the crowd with a completely acoustic take on the track. The result of which was something warmer and more endearing than any pick-up could have produced.
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