A full night of Band of Horses on their Evening With Band of Horses tour did not disappoint.
Dozens of candles and lamps softly glowed across the stage setting the mood for a cozy, intimate beginning to the acoustic half of Band of Horses concert at The Factory in Chesterfield on Saturday night. Since 2004, the Grammy-nominated Seattle-formed band has been filling the airwaves with their catchy, melodic, rooted indie-rock to the delight of fans worldwide.
The night began around 8:15 p.m. with frontman Ben Bridwell standing solo at the mic with his guitar singing “St. Augustine” from their first studio album Everything All the Time. He was then flanked by Ryan Monroe and the newest addition Brett Nash on acoustic guitars and slid into “I Go to the Barn Because I Like The.” Bridwell joked that they were playing lots of songs they don’t normally during the acoustic set and asked the sold-out, seated crowd to forgive them for any mistakes (which this untrained ear didn’t hear any).
Perhaps because they were playing at The Factory, they also included the melodic “Factory” that the rest of the band, drummer, Creighton Barrett and bassist Matt Gentling joined in on to bring a fuller sound to the remainder of the set. At one point Bridwell said, “It’s been a while since we’ve been here. Our last two shows are appropriately in Missouri.” Later on, he shared that his girlfriend hails from the Show Me State.
After a 20 or so-minute break, the lamps and candles were gone and the band reappeared on stage (with an outfit change for Bridwell), ready to rock. Many fans leapt to their feet to rock out with them.
With a twinkle in his eye and a smile that showed itself every so often, Bridwell and crew kicked the 45-minute electric set off with the jaunty “The General Specific.” “Is There a Ghost,” and “Casual Party” made the cut as did “Warning Signs.” They wrapped the night, which seemed to go by in the blink of an eye, with the popular “The Funeral.” As the house lights came on, “Glad Girls,” by Guided by Voices wafted over the speakers, another nod to Missouri.
Fans left sated from a night that formed cherished memories for years to come from a band that feels like home.
More photos from the night https://bit.ly/BandofHorses24cz
Setlist https://carriezukoski.smugmug.com/ConcertPhotos/Band-of-Horses
In my work life, I help nonprofits and small businesses with media and public relations. In my what I love to do life, you can typically find me photographing either wild horses or concerts.
