It has to be daunting to open a show for your musical heros. There you are, the first band on in a set of three, and you're meant to warm up a crowd for a band, or bands, that you've idolized. Can you imagine the pressure? Not only to get a crowd engaged, but to really do justice to your own musical inspiration?
Bands in this position should take a lesson from Shovels & Rope, a two-piece band hailing from Charleston, South Carolina, that, in their own words, make "as much noise as they can." Made up of Michael Trent and Cary Ann Hearst, Shovels & Rope put out a brand of raucous, infectious rock-laced country, and damn if they don't do it better than most.
Their debut album, O' Be Joyful, is made up of a strong collection of catchy, foot stomping tunes. But even that didn't prepare me for the absolutely explosive show they put on this past Saturday night at the Greek Theater in Berkeley.
For one, Trent and Hearst aren't lying — they make a whole lotta noise. An amount of noise that's impressive both because there are just the two of them, and the incredible skill with which they execute it. They seamlessly switch between guitars and percussion, belting out tunes with a verve that other acts can only hope to match. What's more? They were opening up for Willie Nelson and the Drive-By Truckers, two powerhouses of country rock music whose collective output has spanned the decades.
But rather than be daunted by this, they delivered. They riled up a crowd that, more than most, was pretty baked in anticipation of the main event. And they left an impression that was memorable, long after the show had ended.
First opener? Sure. But it's all about the lasting effects of the performance.
SIMILAR SONGS
