by Laura Feeney
The Avett Brothers show was just one of the highlights of my Friday night at the Harvest Jazz and Blues Festival. It was an unusually hot September evening and at just 6pm the tent was absolutely packed with Avett fans of every age. A band featuring drums, double bass, and cello accompanied the Brothers, Seth and Scott. Their characteristic folk-rock sound was highlighted by a performance with rock & roll flair.

The show started off with a lively version of ‘The Fall’ featuring Scott Avett simultaneously playing the harmonica and banjo. They proceeded into the folk rock ‘ Love like a move’ and ‘ Paranoia in B flat major’, joined by the enthusiastic singing of the energetic crowd. The audience was engaged throughout: dancing accompanied every upbeat number, with singing and swaying were the standard through the ballads.

 The hour and 45 minute show featured songs from their newly released album ‘The Carpenter’, as well as crowd-pleasing favourites like the haunting acoustic duet ‘Murder in the City’. As the night progressed, fans were wowed by Scott Avett’s constant energy and instrument changes (from banjo, to acoustic guitar, to piano) and Seth’s soft, youthful voice and exceptional guitar skills.

After a high-energy finale, the applause was deafening – unlike anything that I heard during my week at the Festival. The Brothers treated the adoring audience to an encore featuring ‘I never knew you’ and ‘I and Love and You’. The crowd chimed in, ending the show with the fitting refrain “I and Love and You”.

For more photos of the show, check out the slideshow: