CONCERT RECAP: Band of Horses plus Happy Talk Band @ House of Blues – 10/21/12

There is nothing better than heading out to the House of Blues after a Saints win and extending that excitement. Sunday night’s SOLD OUT Band of Horses show would and did do the trick just fine. As an unexpected bonus (“lagniappe,” for those not from the city), New Orleans’ very own Happy Talk Band was added to the bill.

Band of Horses was supposed to be on the Railroad Revival Tour with Willie Nelson and Jamey Johnson, but due to “logistic” problems, the tour was cancelled. However, like troopers, Band of Horses decided to carry on and tour anyway. This last minute decision proved very beneficial for Happy Talk Band. I had never seen these guys before. I’ve seen their name in Gambit and Offbeat, but our paths had never crossed until now. And what a perfect fit they were. Happy Talk Band’s satirical alt-country played well with the crowd. They were in high spirits all night and extremely thankful for the chance to open up the show. By the end of their set they managed to whip the crowd into a frenzy of excitement, the perfect lead in to the night’s main event.

Growing up in Ft. Worth and graduating from TCU primed me all to well for the alt-country revolution that has come to the music scene. I was exposed to Woodeye and The Old 97′s well before the genre caught the likes of Wilco, Iron and Whine, and Sun Kil Moon to name a few. Band of Horses is an evolution of the genre, blending in elements of old county and classic rock. I am by no means a country fan, but the reworking of the genre has made me appreciate the roots of where the music began. Band of Horses has managed to take all the country music stereotypes and hyper-personalize them, resulting in songs that could be anyone’s life experience. The transition from disc to live is nearly flawless, with the exception of some live liberties, the set sounded like their releases. All four of their albums were nicely represented in the set. The new album, Mirage Rock, plays fluently live and didn’t overpower the set. The audience for the most part was even keel throughout the night only really erupting when the band played the so-called hits, such as “No One’s Gonna Love You” and “The Funeral.” The encore, which was highlighted by “Is There a Ghost,” got an extra burst of energy. The set was rounded out by a few covers, as the Neil Young and Them Two covers got the largest response from the crowd.

All throughout the night the band was on a mission to entertain, and they certainly did. Every song seamlessly transitioned into the next, only stopping for the occasional instrument change and song introduction. They were ever so vigilant of the fact that they had recently played Tipitina’s and tried to plays songs they hadn’t last time. This mindfulness didn’t fall short on the crowd, and in return the crowd kept the party going on all night.

SETLIST

Knock Knock
Cigarettes, Wedding Bands
Blue Beard
Compliments
The Great Salt Lake
Weed Party
Electric Music
Powderfinger [Neil Young & Crazy Horse]
Everything’s Gonna Be Undone
Laredo
No One’s Gonna Love You
Islands on the Coast
NW Apt.
Dumpster World
Older
Heartbreak on the 101
The General Specific
Ode to LRC