Show Review

I have been trying to think of a witty and amusing way to intro this review but I am too anxious to get to the actual review to even attempt to reach deep within myself and BS for a few sentences. But check it out; I already have a few lines done! Anyways, let’s just jump into it, shall we?

The show tonight was held at the world famous Troubadour in West Hollywood, a venue I had only been to once before. This is due to the fact that I am brand new to the Southern California scene and live in Huntington Beach, meaning frequent trips to the venue would be a major inconvenience to me, but mostly on my wallet. Being new and unfamiliar with the area caused a blunder in my attendance. I got a little lost and ended up arriving just in time to see the last two songs of OneRepublic. I don’t feel I saw enough to make a judgment, but I will say that they sounded pretty decent from what I could hear. However, whatever it was I heard from the band was soon pushed far out of my mind as The Damnwells took the stage.

The Damnwells had been hyped to me by friends and acquaintances like it was their job since I had found out I was to be seeing them along with Augustana. So I had rather high expectations of this band. Also, being a big Whiskeytown fan and finding out the drummer for The Damnwells was once Whiskeytown’s drummer as well, made me even more excited to see the show. I had heard a few songs already from a friend and had enjoyed them, but let me tell you, those songs did prepare me for what was about to happen. Their live show was nothing short of spellbinding. The energy and passion shown by this band gave me shivers song after song.

They opened with a song off their latest album and then moved quickly into unveiling two new songs that were so strikingly original, it absolutely floored me. After the introduction to their new sound, a sound I am most excited to get my hands on when it is available, they decided to crank it up a notch. They played “Death After Life”, a song only available for purchase off iTunes and can be listened to at their myspace. This song was one of the greatest live songs I have seen to date. The energy displayed was intoxicating. Everyone was moving to the rhythm, a very upbeat fast rhythm mind you. And when the instrumental came along, the lights started flashing and the stage erupted into a sonic frenzy that I feel will be remembered by this reviewer for quite some time to come. There was not a single weak song in the set, everyone just as impressive as the last. The biggest crowd pleaser was probably the song “Assholes” where every member of Augustana came out on stage playing tambourines and keyboard and singing along. The whole set The Damnwells put on was one of the most genuine performances I have ever witnessed and feel very privileged to have had the opportunity.

Luckily the passion, the energy, and the sincerity did not stop with The Damnwells, Augustana decided to bring all they had to the table as well. Playing nearly their entire album, these guys showed why they deserved the swift recognition they received when they first arrived on the music scene. I have always enjoyed the album “All The Stars and Boulevards” before I saw the show, but it had never hit me as being fantastic. I would like to revise my previous opinion after seeing these guys do it in person. There was never a moment in the set where I was looking at my phone, checking the time.

Each song rang with a catharsis that swept you away with the performance. Making an audience feel your enthusiasm is not something many bands can do. Augustana did it with ease and with style. The highlights of the set were the songs “Sunday’s Best” where their guitarist pulled out mandolin, “Boston” the single off the album and the song the crowd went craziest for, and the B-side they did with The Damnwells. Augustana’s B-side was, in my opinion, the best song of the set. The true spirit of this tour came through in that one song. Both singers’ vocals meshed so well, the instrumentals never seemed to blend into obscurity or get muddled, all you could do was watch in awe as two great bands came together and made something unforgettable.

After the show ended, I was a little sad. It had struck me towards the end of the night that I had been far too long since I had enjoyed myself at a show like I did at this one. Unfortunately, the finale of this particular tour is upon us. But never fear! I have heard it from both bands that touring together again is a top priority and should be something that is watched for in the future. This is probably true because the two bands complimented each other so well that it was probably as much a joy for them to play together as it was for us to watch it happen. I feel lucky that I was able to witness such an event and would like to finish with this thought; that show was the reason I go to see live bands.

review by Kevin Condon