Band of Horses beard it up in Philadelphia

By Nate Adams
Collegian Editor
January 30, 2008

It was with tired eyes and a skeptic heart that I entered the TLA Jan. 22. My mission: to see the Carolina-by-way-of-the-Pacific-Northwest dream rockers Band of Horses. Standing amongst the vast sea of bearded indie-rockers, I had my doubts about the show. Given the expansive, relaxed feel of their music, I had concerns that Band of Horses would be a yawn-fest live.

Oh my sweet Jesus, have I ever been more wrong; and has being so wrong ever felt so good?

A group of grassy slouch-rockers by the name of Cass McCombs opened the show. Their set featured a guitar/keyboard player who looked like DJ Qualls, a bass player with a blanket on his head and some soft, slow tunes that made me really sleepy. Considering how great the next hour-and-a-half was going to be, it was an inauspicious beginning.

The first thing I noticed when Band of Horses took the stage was frontman Bendan Bridwell’s beard, mighty and strong, making him look like some sort of messianic gas station attendant. The second thing was that Band of Horses, usually a three piece, had swollen to six on-stage members. I took this as a good sign; more members equals deeper rock music.

“Are you all ready to have some fun or whatever?” asked Bridwell as the crowd cooed in response. “Well too bad, because here comes a slow one” he finished as the band started the set with “Monsters.”

What followed was one of the most inspired and entertaining sets I’ve seen. The band rattled off “The First Song,” “The Great Salt Lake” and “Is There a Ghost” in rapid succession, giving the audience no time to rest, only time to rock. Hearing these songs live was like hearing them for the first time; seeing Bridwell hit the falsetto vocals in person was almost unbelievable. The songs, already deep and textured, were given added weight by the extra guitars and keys brought on stage for the show.

Every promise made on Everything All the Time and Cease to Begin was honored at the TLA that night. The drums, which are somewhat pushed back in the mix on record, were in the forefront of the show. Every cymbal crash was exact, every fill on time, every bass kick at just the right moment. The guitar players were just as tight and precise while maintaining a relaxed, natural feel. They were able to excite without much movement; songs being played at perfection was enough of an engine to whip the crowd into frenzy.

A few days after the show, I put on Cease to Begin, only to find that the songs I once loved on CD paled in comparison to the ones I loved live. If there is a complaint to be made, it’s that the BoH live show ruined the albums for me; they now serve as reminders of better times as opposed to good songs. After seeing a show as moving and inspiring as that one, it’s a trade I'll make any day of the week.

See Band of Horses. Make it a priority.

adamsn1@lasalle.edu