DISPATCH / JOHN BUTLER / G. LOVE PLAY LIVE AT THE HHA
By Marisa Torrieri Bloom
DISPATCH, John Butler, and G Love at Hartford Healthcare Arena
Massachusetts roots-rock band DISPATCH lit up Bridgeport’s Hartford Healthcare Arena on Sunday night, kicking off summer with a blend of politically charged, human rights anthems drenched in brotherly harmonies.
And while I’d initially expected the concert to ooze with frat house energy, what I came away with was something much deeper and more profound — a band that’s used its musical prowess to spread its vision of equality and human rights.
Musically, the show was a 12 out of 10 – starting with a short, somewhat-of-a-surprise set by G. Love & Special Sauce, a roots-rock/hip-hop act that gained notoriety in the late ’90s college rock scene. Unfortunately, I didn’t know were playing at 6:30 p.m., since the show was billed with singer-songwriter John Butler as the opener. But I did arrive just in time to hear G. Love play their iconic hit song, “She’s Got Sauce,” which lit up the crowd for the two hours that followed.
Up-and-comer John Butler kept the momentum going with a set that showcased his ability to play pretty much any stringed instrument. The artist traipsed the stage with a banjo, slide guitar, electric guitar, and 12-string acoustic guitar, alternating between sitting and standing as he belted out a 9-song set list, accompanied by a drummer, percussionist, and a keys/bass player. The crowd’s favorites included the upbeat “Trippin’ on You” and the bluesy “Zebra.”
It was the most fitting warm-up for DISPATCH, which hit the stage around 8:45 p.m. for a 90-minute set that balanced its classics like “Bang Bang” with newer releases drawn from band’s album, Yellow Jacket (which came out in June) and other recordings.
Having never seen DISPATCH live, I didn’t know what to expect — but the band exceeded my expectations in multitudes. Initially, I assumed the concert would bring out aging millennial dads in droves, wanting to relive their days of college-frat-house parties and keg stands. Instead, I was transformed by a band that proudly displayed a rainbow flag and a “NO KINGS” sign taped to its drum riser, whose deceptively simple lyrical musings were a guise for deeper, emotional explorations of human rights injustices and triumphs.
The band is gifted, musically, of course — with its mix of spoken word lyricism and catchy vocal harmonies — but it’s the message of their music that truly sets them apart from thousands of other bands with a similar vibe.
As expected, the audience gravitated toward the big hits, like “The General” from the band’s 1997 album Bang Bang — which incited a stadium-wide singalong — and a catchy medley of the song “Bang Bang” with a cover of Stevie Wonder’s “Superstition.”
Another poignant highlight came mid-set, when lead vocalist Chadwick Stokes expressed sympathy for the women in the audience, and his daughter, having to witness their healthcare rights being revoked amid the failure of the U.S. to elect a female president. It was a touching message that solidified my newfound fandom.
The band saved the best for last: an encore of “Elias” (inspired by Stokes’ Zimbabwe journeys) and a cover of the Bob Dylan song, “Like a Rolling Stone”. While I wished the band could have played longer and squeezed in “Open Up” (from 2000’s Who Are We Living For? LP), I walked out of the concert feeling inspired, knowing that any other musical events I see or play for the rest of Summer 2025 will have big shoes to fill.
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