The Lone Bellow w/Greg Holden, Nov 16, 2013 at 6th and I Historic Synagogue

Greg Holden, 11-16-13, 6th and I

Lone Bellow, 11-16-13, 6th and I

Eric and I went to this show because Bob Boilen of NPR All Song Considered said it was one of the best live acts he saw last year. I like the music, and you can't beat 6th and I Historic Synagogue as a venue, and it was a Saturday night, so no brainer - definitely worth going!  Helpful hint: the venue is only 2 blocks from the Chinatown metro station, and parking sucks near the Verizon Center, so metro is the way to go. I recently learned that metro is staying open until 3 am on weekends now, which is even better!

The opener, Greg Holden, was extremely personable, but Eric and I didn't care for his music which sounded very Nashville-country, even though he's originally from the UK. My big critique for him was that he only said his name one time, and he mumbled that! It's an opener's job to make sure the crowd remembers who you are. Since his name wasn't even on Songkick or the 6th and I website (at least after the show started), that was a big mistake.  It took some digging around on the internet to put his name in this post.

The Lone Bellow was extraordinary live. They are technically a trio, though there were 5 people on stage. It's vocal-driven American folk, but mostly uptempo. The harmonies are beautiful. If they had just been gifted musicians, that would have been fine. I would have felt I got my money's worth. Thing was, they were also engaging performers. They came into the audience to sing unplugged twice. There were stories about a crazy uncle from White, Georgia. There was jumping up onto the bannister rail at the end of the stage. There was excitement and energy on stage--I understand why it was one of Mr. Boilen's best of the year. They absolutely deserve that label. EXCELLENT live show.

Side note: There was one VERY enthusiastic man in the front row who annoyed me and Eric by jumping around like a maniac, motioning to the crowd to get up and jump with him, trying to soak up the band's attention for himself. The advantage of 6th and I is seats. Standing means that short people (like me!) can't see anything. I was very happy with the band for encouraging people to sit back down several times. It made a huge difference in my ability to enjoy the show.