BAND OF HORSES / CITY AND COLOUR LIVE @ COLLEGE STREET

By Ralph Beauchamp

Band of Horses and City and Colour brought their dynamic co-headlining tour to College Street Music Hall in New Haven on 9/7/2024 with Nolan Taylor for direct support. I’ve been waiting to catch these two bands for quite a while but there always seemed to be an obstacle in the way.

Opening up the night was singer/songwriter Nolan Taylor. He was accompanied by Nashville (by way of Kentucky) guitarist, Clarke Sexton who was a perfect partner in aural tone to Taylor. Nolan was raised in a small town in Ohio and as a youth excelled at sports but found his true love when he picked up his left handed guitar in high school. Nolan kind of reminds me of Jason Isbell in the fact that his songs depict the darker side of life. His folky country style fits perfectly with his darkened images.

Photos Mark Turek

Nolan’s compositions are full of sorrow, heartbreak and redemption. Songs like “Darkness” touch on the themes of suicide and depression yet the lilt is beautifully harmonic. Nolan knows how to capture both elements in a single track. Another track, “Double Life” is based on a true experience of a cheating fellow musician. His most powerful tune was “68”. It’s a song about his estranged mother where Nolan’s powerful and emotive voice took control. Every ounce of his emotions came pouring out and the audience felt his singular pain. Nolan is a unique talent with high potential.

Next up was the band I truly came to see. City and Colour is the brainchild of the incredible Canadian artist Dallas Green. Green’s vocals are both stirring and gripping. His music carries such an emotional punch that every ounce of your spirit feels its power. Green is also a member of the illustrious outfit, Alexisonfire. He has been nominated and won several Juno Awards. Green is a musical force of great stature.

The musicians in City and Colour are also extraordinary. Long time associate multi-instrumentalist Matt Kelly was flawless. Leon Power on drums excelled. Erik Nielsen on bass was totally engaging while guitarist Johnny 99 hit the mark. The entire ensemble was tight and their vibe sinless. The band’s ambience was one of sublime coolness. Not the coolness that explodes in your face but one that transfixes you quietly to their music.

Opening up with “Weightless”, the audience was immediately captivated. I was surprised how many fans they had in the house. From there, City and Colour continued the groove with “The Love Still Held Me Near” from their 2023 album by the same name. In fact, close to half the set came from The Love Still Held Me Near including “After Disaster” and “Meant To Be”. College Street was revelling in the heavenly aura City and Colour was letting loose.

Photos Mark Turek

Throughout, Green’s voice carried the day. His soulful vibrations were dramatic and delivered a sonic avalanche of textures. “Living in Lighting”, “Waiting..” and “Silver and Gold” ensued. By this time, the crowd was entirely mesmerized in propulsive awe. Two phenomenal songs from the new record came next. “Hard, Hard Time” and “Underground” were simply bold and brazen with the house responding with loud cheers. After “Fragile Bird”, City and Colour brought out the big guns. “Lover Come Back” was a huge hit. “Sleeping Sickness” again had their fans singing along. Ending with a medley of “Sometimes (I Wish)” and Sade’s “No Ordinary Love”, this evening, City and Colour plainly conquered.

Band of Horses was the last band standing. Formed in Seattle in 2004, the band is fronted by founding member Ben Bridwell (Lead Vocals/Guitar/Pedal Steel/Keyboards). In addition, the current lineup of Band of Horses consists of Creighton Barrett (Drums) and Ryan Monroe (Keyboards/Guitar/Backing Vocals). Both of which have been around quite awhile. The band is rounded out by Matt Gentling (Bass) and Brent Nash (Guitar). Band of Horses have released six studio album of which Things Are Great (2022) is the latest. This year the group released a live full length entitled Acoustic At the Ryman (Vol. 2).

Photos Mark Turek

Band of Horses hit the stage on fire. From the very first song to the last note, the audience was grooving to the band’s spellbinding lushness. Every song had an tenacious intensity. Bridwell didn’t talk much and let the songs do his talking which seemed fine to everyone involved. Tracks like “Laredo” showcased their strong songwriting and delivered a beautiful richness to the air. “Crutch” was another fan favorite that had heads bopping and bodies swaying. Their big hit “No One’s Gonna Love You” drew a loud applause and garnered a sing along.

All through their performance, Band of Horses morphed exotic textures to invigorate the audience. Their rendition of “Is There A Ghost” was enthralling. Its intriguing rhythm simply devoured the house. “The General Specific”, “The Great Salt Lake” and “Lights” all brought a tempest of cascading and imaginative images. Band of Horses closed out with a massive version of “The Funeral”. All in all, the group absolutely distributed a stellar set with many unforgettable moments.

This was another College Street victorious adventure. Mark and Keith really now how to put on a show.

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