Article and photos by:  Gary Flink

Port Chester, NY– The Avett Brothers rolled in to the Capitol Theatre on Saturday night with their high octane, bluegrass fused form of folk-rock and proved why they are one of the most entertaining bands around to see live. Going 0-100mph from their first step on the kick drum, they never took their foot off the gas pedal for the two hour set that followed.

North Carolina natives and brothers Scott Avett (banjo, guitar) and Seth Avett (guitar), along with Bob Crawford (bass), Joe Kwon (cello), Mike Marsh (drums), Paul DeFiglia (keyboard) and Tania Elizabeth (fiddle), coming off a 1^st ever show at Madison Square Garden the night before, opened with “Die Die Die” and got the good-time vibe going from the start.

Splitting duties on vocals and exchanging dueling guitar vs banjo licks with each other throughout the night, Scott and Seth Avett clearly share a palpable musical bond…creating total harmony and two voices that often times sing as one. The entire band was in sync; the joy they share playing on stage together was evident and obvious with each bandmate spontaneously spinning and dancing with frenzied energy, covering ground from end to end across the entire length of the stage. Kwon and Elizabeth, feeding off of each other and often times inseparable, seemingly formed their own string section of the band and played their instruments with such spirited intensity that the fibers on Kwon’s bow often ended up tattered and torn.

Fan favorites “Down With The Shine”, “Head Full Of Doubt/Road Full Of Promise”, “Vanity”, and “Kick Drum Heart” were all met with rousing applause, and when Scott Avett sang the lyrics, “Brooklyn, Brooklyn take me in” during I And Love And You, the NY crowd erupted with impassioned home town approval.  A moving cover of “Mama Tried” paid a deserved and honored tribute to the late and legendary Merle Haggard who recently passed away, which was a very touching moment of the night.

As the show went on, the infectious energy of the band continued to rise along with the growing enthusiasm and lengthy sing alongs from the crowd. At one point, both Scott and Seth Avett even left the stage in mid-song, wandering off and into the crowd, and continued to play without missing a beat, lyric or guitar riff.

Following a four song encore and a heartfelt “thank you” to the crowd for their support, the band left the stage for the night and left the fans shouting for more.