While theextra attention might scare a band or blind them from seeing what got themtherethe raw power of music and their fan baseFrightened Rabbit took commandof the stage like the Energizer Bunny. The group thrilled with a show that drewheavily from their well-reviewed album TheWinter of Mixed Drinks, released earlier this year.%uFFFD
Led bysinger Scott Hutchison and his rich, emotionally powerful voice, the band keptthe crowd’s attention with both surging anthem-like songs (none as powerful as“Swim Until You Can’t See Land”) and songs that revealed their treasures overtime, with melodies that swirled around in a wall of harmonies. Hutchison madethe crowd feel at home during song breaks, telling stories and joking aroundbetween fan favorites like “The Twist,” “Head Rolls Off” and “Keep YourselfWarm.”
The music,indie-rock with a helping of folk, stirred the crowd into a frenzy. Even duringan acoustic solo by Hutchison the audience roared with ecstatic applause.
“I haven’thad this much fun in a solo,” he said with a laugh before joining his bandmates for a powerful finish.%uFFFD%uFFFD
%uFFFDOur Brother the Native and Maps & Atlasesopened the night, both to a welcome reception by those who arrived early. Theformer offered a novel sound that their MySpace page describes as R&B,jungle and neo-soul. Maps & Atlases’ set suggested it may only be a matterof time until they breakout, thanks to the distinctly high-pitched, powerfulvocals of lead singer Dave Davison, whose voice was complemented by swirling,playful guitars and melodies.
Photo by CJ Foeckler