After a pair of warm-up shows late last month Spafford kicked-off their Fall Tour in earnest on Friday night with the first of two shows at the House Of Blues outpost in Chicago’s part of The Big Weekend. The Arizona-based band delivered a pair of jam-heavy sets in the Windy City that also saw them welcome saxophonist Jason Singer and nod to another band from the jam scene.
The four-piece act kicked off their night with a nearly 40-minute stretch that saw them pair “Red’s Jam” with “The Postman” playing the former for just the fourth time in 2018. Spafford then looked to their cover of Alex Clare’s “Too Close. The tune from the British soul singer’s 2011 release The Lateness of the Hour was revived earlier this year after a nearly five-year layoff. Singer emerged next for the set-closing take on “Ain’t That Wrong.” The saxophonist appears on the studio version of the track from their most recent studio effort For Amusement Only which was released back in May. Spafford offered up a five-song second set that was highlighted by an expansive take on “Todd’s Tots.” The band closed out their second frame with JJ Grey & Mofro’s “On Fire.” The frequent cover from the Flordia-act’s 2011 release Orange Blossoms dates back to 2012.
Listen to full-show audio taped by Dave Lewis below:
Setlist (via Spaffnerds)
Set I: Red’s Jam > The Postman, Too Close, Ain’t That Wrong [ 1 ]
Set II: Lovesick Melody > Soil, Todd’s Tots, My Road (My Road), On Fire
Encore: Beautiful Day
[ 1 ]: With: Jason Singer on Saxophone
