Dawes @ Taft Theatre 7/5/16

By: Derek Jung

Coming off last year's fabulous "All Your Favorite Bands", which both Joseph and I named as one of our favorites of 2015, the band's increased air time on independent radio has definitely bolstered their already passionate cult following. The last time they were in Cincinnati, they were opening for Hozier (remember him?). This time, Taft Theatre was packed for the California rockers, and they gave the audience a foot stomping good time.

It all started with The Lone Bellow, who opened the night. I was curious how the crowd would react to them, as I've only ever seen them as a headliner - once at MusicNOW Festival and again at 20th Century Theater. Either a large portion the crowd were already fans, or many new ones were made that night. By the end of the set, everyone was on their feet, clapping and singing along. In fact, I'd argue that they were the most successful opener to actually warm up the crowd that I've seen in a long time. They even managed a section-by-section theater singalong on "Then Came The Morning" that wasn't half-hearted or sarcastic.

With that said, Dawes took the stage to an eager and ready crowd and they kept the energy high throughout the majority of their set. Mixing a generous heaping of songs from the entirety of their discography, lead singer Taylor Goldsmith's cheerful demeanor lightened the retrospective melancholy that oftentimes features heavily in his songwriting. He bounced back and forth on stage, especially during drawn out jams or his guitar solos, smiling and playing the frontman role well. Taylor's brother Griffin, the band's drummer, complemented his vocals with an almost perfect harmony. The two even played a few songs completely unplugged, joined by the band's touring keyboardist, with only their voices and an acoustic guitar. The other members were much more subdued in their playing, giving Goldsmith the spotlight. Bassist Wylie Gelber would sit on the drum riser from time to time and second guitarist Alex Casnoff, wearing his signature hat and long, straightened hair, hardly moved unless he was playing a solo, and even then only took a few steps forward.

"When My Time Comes" still holds the same power and emotion for me that it did nearly ten years ago when it was released. Taylor can still hit the amazing chorus and hearing it reverberate throughout the theater gave me chills. The night closed with the crowd overpowering the band's singing on "All Your Favorite Bands", easily the most Kumbayah moment of the night. 

Dawes has hinted that a new album is on the way soon. If that means another round of touring, I'll jump at the next chance I get to see them.

Check out a video of the aforementioned unplugged performance of "How Far We've Come".

Setlist:

From a Window Seat
Things Happen
Fire Away
That Western Skyline
Coming Back to a Man
I Can't Think About It Now
If I Wanted Someone
Someone Will
Now That It's Too Late, Maria
How Far We've Come
Take Me Out of the City
Right On Time
Most People
A Little Bit of Everything
When My Time Comes
From the Right Angle
All Your Favorite Bands