Indie rock fans flocked to the State Theatre in Ithaca on Tuesday, September 17 as Band of Horses wrapped up their summer tour with a performance in the picturesque town.
This show was a long time coming for fans of the Seattle rockers, as illness forced postponement of the originally scheduled show in February. The delay did not deter a strong contingent of fans from turning out, as the show was nearly sold-out.
The evening kicked off with a passionate performance from singer-songwriter Nolan Taylor. The Ohio native performed forty minutes of what he called “sad songs”. Taylor strummed an acoustic guitar and was flanked by friend and bandmate Clarke Sexton, also on guitar.
Taylor’s vocals soared through the theater, as he performed heartfelt tracks such as “Wicked Ways” and “68” the later of which oozed with emotion and previously served as the introduction to Taylor for many, when a video of him performing the track in the woods went viral last year.
After a brief set change over, the audience took their seats for Band of Horses. Singer Ben Bridwell took his place behind a pedal steel while his four band members gathered round. Bridwell began the opening strums of “Monsters”, a stand out track from the band’s 2006 debut release. The band would follow with “The First Song” and “The Great Salt Lake” all from their debut album, and serving as an impressive 1-2-3 punch to open the evening.
Bridwell and his band mates performed a set spanning the band’s 20 year career. Ballads like “Is There a Ghost” and No One’s Gonna Love You” brought the audience to their feet and illuminated the lower portion of the theater in cell phone lights, while “The Funeral” had the audience shouting the song’s anthemic chorus.
After a 17 song main set, the band returned to the stage for one final number; the rollicking, foot stomping “The General Specific”. The track saw the band calling members of their crew to the stage to join in on the fun, grabbing a hold of tambourines, cowbells, and what ever else could be used as a percussion instrument. It was a fun end to the evening in Ithaca, and a celebratory way to end a long tour for Band of Horses.
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