Concert Review: DAWES Live from Atlanta

2 Guitarist - Taylor Goldsmith further expanded Dawes' capabilities with Duane Betts

So as you may have just read about on The Only Music Blog, I recently had the pleasure of interviewing Taylor Goldsmith of Dawes. Goldsmith, the lead singer and guitarist for the folk rock band, provided a great interview following his sold out show in Atlanta last weekend. You can read the full interview here.

Normally I would have combined both the interview and show review in one posting, but a concert of the caliber that Dawes put together deserved its own article. This was my 5^th time seeing Dawes live, and I don’t believe they have ever sounded better.

Dawes sold out the 1,100 capacity Variety Playhouse in their first Atlanta performance since headlining the Buckhead Theatre back in spring of 2013. Dawes took the stage just after 10pm, following an opening set by Hiss Golden Messenger.

Dawes resides in Los Angeles, and released their 4^th album earlier this year – entitled All Your Favorite Bands. The album had been critically acclaimed, and the group displayed it well on the evening. First single ‘Things Happen,’ started the show. I don’t think lead singer Goldmith’s vocals have ever sounded better than on this opening track.

This folk-rock band has always had a certain king of iconic sound and structure to their songs. It’s not atypical for Dawes tunes to have a long musical break in between the second chorus and the bridge. New tunes ‘I Can’t Think About It Now’ and ‘Now That It’s Too Late Maria’ display this songwriting well.  The live performance really shows off how musically gifted all members of the band are.

Dawes was a four-piece group through their first three albums, but added a second guitarist for this tour. Duane Betts, son of famous Allman Brothers guitarist Dickey Betts, adds some great guitar overplay and solos to the already musically sound discography. Goldsmith has seemed to integrate Betts very well into the sets. It seems like Dawes have more capabilities as a 5-piece. You have two members on guitar solos now, rather than just Goldsmith. The musical arrangements and show in itself can be much longer now.

While I really do love the new album and enjoyed hearing all the new tunes live, some of the best songs on the night were from Dawes earlier material. The bands first single, ‘When My Time Comes,’ is one of my favorite songs to hear live. The chorus gets everyone in the crowd jumping and singing along. Taylor is even known for swinging the microphone around and letting the crowd sing the final chorus on their own. It always proves to be a set highlight.

Dawes played for just under two hours on the night, and appropriately ended with current single ‘All Your Favorite Bands.’ This sing-a-long ballad has a great message, with a chorus ending in the wish for a friends favorite bands to always stay together. That line evoked loud ovations from the Atlanta crowd. The fans even ended the night taking the chorus a capella one more time after Taylor finished his vocals.

Another great show by Dawes, just matching the expectation level we’ve come to expect. I sure hope the ‘1 album per year’ philosophy that Taylor mentioned becomes reality.

CONCERT RATING: 4 Stars