Bon Iver
No surprise, it was hot Friday. I mean, we’re talking triple digits into the night. Add in around 5,000 concert goers sitting shoulder to shoulder in the uncovered Raleigh Amphitheater, relief was scant save for the air conditioned bathrooms.
But by the time Raleigh darlings The Rosebuds took the stage ahead of Triangle expat Bon Iver, the heat was on the verge of being forgotten, giving way to a set comprised of mostly new tunes from the ‘Buds chilly new album.
After catching The Rosebuds during their June album release show at Kings, I knew the songs were solid then, and a month on the road could only better them for the band’s return to its home state.
And that it did.
The tracks from Loud Planes Fly Low sounded as effortless as those from Night of the Furies, though the crowd clearly still favored those older cuts — standing and singing along with “Cemetery Lawns” and “Nice Fox.”
With the band cutting its teeth between here and Wilmington, that shouldn’t come as any surprise as these older songs have a special place in the hearts of Raleighites. And by the sound of The Rosebuds’ banter with the crowd, Raleigh holds a special place in the band’s hearts as well.
While the ‘Buds have been on the road with Bon Iver since the tour’s start on July 22, it is especially fitting the two bands would take the stage together in Raleigh.
While living in the City of Oaks, Bon Iver’s Justin Vernon established a kinship with the ‘Buds, going so far as to produce the band’s 2007 album Night of the Furies. Vernon even lent vocals to the track “Silja Line” and guitar to “Get Up Get Out,” “Silence By The Lakeside” and “When The Lights Went Dim.”
As for Vernon, he’s come a long way since those Raleigh days. He recently released a critically acclaimed sophomore full-length, he’s teamed up with Kanye West and his band is now an impressive nine members deep.
The Rosebuds
Jake Seaton | Music.MyNC.Com | WNCN NBC-17 | Producer
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