Cristina Danielle O'Connor
The pre-show applause was instantly met with energetic music by the Avett Brothers as they took the St. Augustine Ampitheatre stage. The Avett Brothers are musicians that sound even better live than their fine-tuned songs on the radio. Ask anyone who went, and they will probably say their experience was also better than they could have imagined.
The rain fell before the start of the show, prompting everyone to their seats to take cover. It stopped just in time for the band to make their entrance, and the light wind and drizzle cooled everyone off as they danced in place. The lighting was on point, highlighting each band member as they played their solos like no one was watching. The simple stage set up included a worn-down carpet you’d find in your parents living room and some neon lights in the background for some edge. It was a perfect scene for the reminiscent mood that filled the show. The lyrics were sung with passion from the band and audience alike. You could see the shared experiences in the subtle looks audience members gave each other as they swayed back and forth with arms wrapped around shoulders and hands clasped together. While the band’s connection with the audience was undeniably strong during the music, the Avett Brothers also told relatable stories and revealed the meaning of some of their songs.
Band member Tania Elizabeth danced around the stage while gracefully playing her violin. Joe Kwon impressed the audience with his cello. Scott and Seth Avett played back to back and jammed as two brothers would. Bob Crawford spun his double bass, and it landed eloquently back into song, as the audience cheered. Mike Marsh kept the band in perfect rhythm, tying their folksy sound together.
Every second of the Avett Brothers show is more than worth the price of the experience. If you missed this one, you still have until July of 2018 to make it to another performance.
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