The Avett Brothers' annual New Year’s Eve concert returned
to Charlotte with a bang (and a thud) Tuesday after celebrating the holiday
elsewhere in the Carolinas for the last four years. The traditional midnight
ball drop came early for fans when the largest of 30 or so disco balls hanging
above the stage came crashing down with a resounding boom, splitting one of the
floorboards of the stage in two, during the changeover between opening act Shovels
& Rope and the headliner.
Although crew members were on stage at the time, no one was hurt and the show went on as
planned. Aside from a spotlight shining on it during the
encore and Seth Avett giving it a nudge with his foot when the band took the
stage around 10 p.m., the group completely ignored the elephant in the room -
the five foot tall mirrorball peeking out of the stage.
Time Warner Cable Arena was reportedly sold out. Brothers Scott and Seth
Avett seemed took in the crowd standing on tip toes and peering toward the
rafters. The homecoming marked the Avetts' biggest hometown show to date. The now seven-piece unit with full drums, organ/keys, and fiddle provided by the Duhk’s
Tania Elizabeth delivered a fan favorite-heavy, two and a half hour set of
nearly 30 songs.
Following a rousing set by Charleston husband and wife duo
Shovels & Rope, the Avetts kicked off its set with "Open Ended Life" (which
opens its recent album "Magpie & the Dandelion") followed by 2012’s "The
Carpenter’s" "Live and Die."
At one point Scott noted how long the Charlotte audience had
been with the Avetts. Because of that it didn’t really matter how deep the
Avetts reached into its catalog. It dug out several from 2007’s "Emotionalism: and a few from 2006’s "Four Thieves Gone." Of course there were omissions like 2004’s "Swept Away," which featured Scott and Seth Avetts’ sister Bonnie in the past.
Instead she and their father Jim joined them for "Old Rugged Cross," "Life" (just Bonnie), and the final song of the night, "Good Night Sweetheart" (the
doo-wop classic recorded by the Spaniels). Those weren’t the only surprise covers.
After a bluegrass rendition of "Auld Lang Syne" the band bounded into John
Denver’s "Thank God I’m a Country Boy."
The group’s Concord-based core may be country boys at heart (Elizabeth’s fiddle helped turn "Head Full of Doubt/Road Full of Promise" into
a rocking hoedown, for instance), but the Avetts also tap their hard rock
roots. "Pretty Girl From Chile" morphed from Spanish guitar to a psychedelic throw-down
reminiscent of Scott and Seth Avetts’ early days in Led Zeppelin-inspired hard
rock bands. "Vanity" - played late in the set - had that same off-the-rails
feel as it turned from Seth’s voice resonating through the arena to the dark, crashing "November
Rain"-reception-style piano-driven breakdown which quickly segued into the
stomper "Kick Drum Heart." The latter escalated as Seth soloed atop a speaker at
the foot of the stage as his brother pogoed at the end of the catwalk (see photos).
The set, which featured plenty of newer material from "Magpie," wasn’t low on intimate moments either. Scott Avett
sang "Murder in the City" solo at the foot of the catwalk. His brother did the
same for the quiet "Ballad of Love and Hate," while a handful of other songs
were performed as the original trio ("Shame," "Paranoia in Bb Major") or with cellist Joe Kwon.
After ringing in the New Year, the group capped the show
with "Talk on Indolence." With lyrics about getting "raging drunk," it was a
fitting night cap which saw Kwon whipping his hair like a member of Metallica.
He may have missed his metal calling. The band’s friends and family members,
including children and Seth Avetts' celebrity girlfriend ("Dexter" actress
Jennifer Carpenter singing along to "Morning Song" at one point), clapped and
danced at the side of the stage.
The only thing missing was the emotional heft of
the Avetts' other milestone performances. When the group opened its first Merlefest
headlining set with “Murder in the City,” I got chills. When it headlined
Bojangles' Coliseum on the cusp of its commercial breakthrough “I and Love and
You,” its lyrics seemed to chart its journey up to that point in time. Tuesday’s
show wasn’t as telling. Aside from Seth Avett gushing about how happy he was
and he and his brother taking in the crowd, there was little to mark it as a
milestone. I didn’t tear up or get goosebumps. Yet knowing the importance of
authenticity and sincerity in whatever the Avetts produce, I wouldn’t expect manufactured
heart-tugging either.
There's no denying how far they’ve come and how much they
mean to local fans who have been on this journey with them. When I drove to Concord to meet the brothers in a downpour
a decade ago for our first interview, I couldn’t have predicted they’d play the arena a decade later. There are so many factors that play into a local band
becoming a Grammy nominated international act. But as Scott stumbled down the
catwalk pulling against his banjo chord during “Live and Die” as if the tether
was preventing him from rocking harder, I remembered those two college-age kids
tumbling into a heap on Tremont’s stage as Nemo (their former band) years ago. There was greatness in
their performance even then and it didn’t matter whether they were the unknown opening
act on a four band benefit bill or headlining the arena on the biggest night of the
year.
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