Although The War on Drugs’ show at Stubb’s in Austin was not sold out when the doors opened at 7:00 on Sunday night, an enormous line soon snaked around the block to purchase tickets and enter the venue. It makes sense that fans of the heady, haze-rock band would wait until the last minute to buy their tickets. And throughout opener Califone’s set, the amphitheater filled with concertgoers. Soon, the show was sold out—a well deserved achievement for a band who released one of the year’s finest records with Lost in the Dream, out last March on Secretly Canadian.
The War On Drugs perfectly fuse introspective, noodling psych-rock with the Americana acoustics and melodies that exude the essence of Bruce Springsteen. A sea of synths and brass undulate beneath reverb-soaked guitars as frontman Adam Granduciel mumble-howls through expansive verses. This is somewhere between the heartland arenas of Born in the U.S.A. and the lonesome highways of Nebraska, and it succeeds on every level. Listeners are pummeled with incredible bursts of sound while simultaneously lulled into a deep trance with the persuasion of psychedelic waves.
Stubb’s can be hit or miss with their sound production as they have a large, oddly shaped outdoor area to fill. On Sunday night, it couldn’t have been better, which is an incredible feat, considering the complexity of The War On Drugs’ arrangements. The subtle instrumentation of backing sax came through, as did the pervasive synth lines, which were balanced perfectly with distorted guitars. Even Granduciel’s vocals were almost intelligible throughout the night, which is just as much as you can say about the recorded versions of this songs.
After a dozen or so sprawling songs, which included crowd favorites like “Under the Pressure” with its Dylanesque vocal styling and outstanding Lost in the Dream single “Red Eyes” with its powerful riffs and emotive yelps, the band left the stage, only to return for an encore that featured a cover of Bob Dylan’s “Tangled Up In Blue.” As if listeners needed any further indicators of this band’s points of reference or influences, there’s no denying The War On Drugs’ affinity for the folk rock forefathers. Granduciel and his crew are wearing their hearts on their sleeves, and I’m more than okay with that.
Earlier in the evening, Califone played their brand of heavy Americana for the steadily growing crowd. They’re a band that has been developing their balance of delicate acoustics and crunchy electrics over more than a decade. They know what they’re doing. Fans of the band might be of an understated temperament, but they’re loyal as hell. Built on plaintive vocals and even-keel pacing, the songs exude mellow vibes but also fall into deep grooves. Those who were lucky enough to catch Califone left impressed no doubt.
After the show, local rising stars Genuine Leather played to those smart enough to wander in and check out some of Austin’s top talent. We’ve been pleased to bring you music from the band over the last few months, and were stoked to catch their set. Emphasizing catchy riffs and slightly distorted electric guitars, the band pumps out infectious little indie pop gems with just enough quirk to make them distinct and memorable. Changes of pace and hooky grooves are their specialty. Many of their songs stand up well, but the bite of “The Viper” will ensnare you from the onset and pull you deeper into this snake’s den of tunes.
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