It is really quite incredible how terrible I am at keeping up with this website and journaling in general. But in this and in life, all I can do is forgive myself and try to do better. I have a several things I want to catch up on, so I will prewrite a couple of days worth of content and then time out the posts. Today’s topic is The Wood Brothers. More specifically, it is my review of their Rochester show this past week.
Let me start by giving a little bit of history of my time being a fan of the band. For me, they first appeared on my radar in 2015 when they played a show in Syracuse, NY at the Westcott Theater. The only reason I was even aware of the gig is because syracuse.com published a story about the band. This was shortly after the release of The Muse album and they were spotlighting the song “Sing About It.” As I watched the video, I was floored. I had to see this band. I quickly booked tickets and started devouring their music and learning more.
As it turned out, I was aware of them longer than I had suspected. They released an album in 2005 titled Ways Not To Lose with the single, Luckiest Man. That song was everywhere that year, but the name of the band never really registered with me. They were one hit wonders of the early 2000s as far as I knew.
Circling back to 2015, it would be hard to exaggerate how much I enjoyed my first live Wood Brothers show. While only a three piece band with Oliver Wood on lead vocals and guitar, his brother Chris on bass (upright and otherwise), and Jano Rix on percussion, they commanded attention the entire show. They are a little bit blues, a little bit jazz, a little bit bluegrass, and whole lotta soul.
I saw a plethora of great live acts of the same ilk that year including, but not limited to, Ray LaMontagne, Gregory Alan Isakov, and The Avett Brothers. They are all amazing, but there was something very unique about The Wood Brothers. They didn’t live in a specific genre. They came to the table with individual professional backgrounds in completely different segments of music. The product of that union was sublime.
The rest of that year, they popped up on several YouTube videos from different music commentators. They were staples on the festival scene. Their star was rising, but they continued to exist in a niche market.
I saw them the next year in Ithaca at The State Theater in what is perhaps my least favorite concert experience of all time. The band was amazing. They were crisp and energetic and worked the crowd into a hyper state of joy from the first note. The problem for me is that I paid decent money for pretty good seats and the security at the show allowed the orchestra section to become a free for all. I never mind standing at a show, but this was insane. The aisles and pit were both chock full of gyrating ex hippies and hipsters grooving away to the tunes. It didn’t help that my wife at the time was not a fan of the band and was miserable. I was annoyed and left early.
My next three times seeing the band were all at the same venue: Beak & Skiff Apple Orchard in LaFayette, NY. The music scene at Beak & Skiff warrants a story of its own and perhaps I will write that at some point. I saw them first as headliners, with The Blind Owl Band opening up for them. I brought my wife at the time again, along with both my children and met some friends. It was a great show. The Wood Brothers seemingly enjoyed it immensely too. They made several comments on stage about the beauty of the venue and the amazing hospitality of their hosts. The next day they played a show at Central Park in New York City and Chris Wood was sporting a Beak & Skiff T-shirt on stage. It was no surprise they came back.
The next time they played there was with another favorite of mine: Lake Street Dive. It was billed as a co-headlining show, but it didn’t feel that way. The Wood Brothers played a reduced set and the vast majority of the audience was clearly there for Lake Street Dive. I enjoyed the show all the same. This time I was there with several friends and the woman that would eventually become my current wife. It was her first experience with the band and to be honest, she was not impressed. She said they seemed a little flat and out of place. She said she couldn’t hear them well and that the crowd was not into it and she found that distracting. In hindsight, I had to agree.
This was all pre-Covid. I didn’t see them again until this year. They played another headlining show at Beak & Skiff with Valerie June opening for them. Since Jessica, now my wife, didn’t like them the first time, she wasn’t compelled to go. I brought my friend Joe instead and had a hell of a time. We tailgated with beer and THC, enduring a lengthy storm delay of more than an hour before we could entire the venue. When we found out seats to begin the show, it was already nearing dark. Valerie June was hauntingly good and set the stage for an incredible evening of The Wood Brothers’ music.
Shortly after that amazing summer show, they announced their fall and winter dates. They were coming to The Kodak Theater in Rochester, which is a gorgeous venue that I adore. I had a presale code and bought tickets the minute they went online. I scored two front row tickets. Leading up to the show, I didn’t know who I was going to go with. My wife still wasn’t interested. Joe didn’t want to spend the money. A couple of other friends weren’t available. The I had a Covid exposure and worried I wouldn’t be able to go at all. Luckily, I was negative and I pleaded with my wife to go. She begrudgingly acquiesced. As it turns out, she was very glad she did.
Their opener got sick, so a local duo, Aaron Lipp & Richie Stearns stepped in. As they took the stage, it was clear that were not accustomed to playing a house this big or an audience this full. After a nervous and awkward start, they absolutely killed it. Both men had wonderful harmony and played off each other beautifully with a mix of original music and eclectic covers. In all my years of concerts, I cannot remember a crowd so pumped for an opening act.
After a short break, Oliver, Chris, and Jano took the stage. From the first note, they owned it. They entertained us thoroughly for two hours, with a perfect mix of jam-band like journeys and informative narratives. Chris also led a couple of songs I wasn’t completely familiar with. His vocals are a stark departure from Oliver’s voice. While this is in no way a detriment, it feels like a wholly different band with him fronting the songs. They set up an omni mic to play a few acoustic songs with ethereal harmonies. Before they began, Oliver remarked that it was time to play in the key of Be Quiet. The crowd laughed, but he quickly followed up with a comment about what a well behaved audience it was. It was a Tuesday night, after all.
One thing I was not aware of until about halfway through the performance was that this was their FIRST show of this tour. I was shocked. They were not rusty or tired. Their timing was perfect and their voices were exact.
After the set ended, while waiting for the encore, I looked over to my wife. She was thrilled. As she stated on the drive home, they seemed like a totally different band than the first time she had seen them. Playing a theater show where the sound and audience can be more controlled suited them. She was won over completely and my love for the band was galvanized.
I cannot wait to see them again!
