Inessentials

The Avett Brothers (brothers Scott and Seth and friend Bob Crawford) take the banjo, guitar, cello, and occasionally piano and drums that belong firmly in the bluegrass tradition of their native North Carolina and take it somewhere completely unexpected. Rather than following the contemporary bluegrass tendencies to play traditional tunes and exhibit superior musicianship through banjo picking and bass plucking, the Avetts play with a punk attitude: screw the classics, screw showiness, and play raw, emotional music. The punk movement was founded on the idea that conveying emotion was far more important than knowing how to play your instruments, and that’s the makes the Avett Brothers so very punk: although very capable and talented mult-instrumentalists, they subsume all aspects of musicianship to the twin forces of singing forcefully and crafting lyrics. Their instruments are played roughly, creating a natural percussion so forceful you hardly notice the lack of drums on most of their songs.

That attitude also makes for a great performance. The audience is drawn in by the clear desire to emote and connect. For a band that isn’t in the mainstream (yet), there are a remarkable number of people singing along at an Avett Brothers concert. On Saturday night in New York City’s Terminal 5, the boys were able to step back and let the audience take over singing on the very first song of the night! I’m not sure I’d seen that immediate a connection before. It sure didn’t hurt that the song was off The Avett Brothers’ best and best loved LP, Emotionalism.

That style of performance has its downside, too. If you are not one of the throngs singing along, but stuck on the edges watching, their is little musicianship happening to engage your attention. (Seeing them at Terminal 5 didn’t help matters with its unusual viewing angles.) And thus arises one of the great concert-going questions: Is it better to be stuck amongst the rabble, claustrophobia setting in, as everyone jostles for positions and drowns out the band, or is it better to be on the edges amongst the beer-swilling loud-talkers? My wife and I had a little of both at Terminal 5. I prefer trading elbow jabs for a chance to experience that communal concert experience, whereas my wife prefers the comfort of breathable air even if that means dealing with people who paid $30 each to stand and talk to their buddies all night.

But the key, of course, is to go. And sing.