Dawes – The Ryman – Oct 2, 2021

 

After a Covid-forced quarantine caused them to cancel several shows on their already long-delayed tour, Dawes careened into The Ryman to close out their first tour in nearly two years on October 2, 2021. It was their second show in Tennessee in less than a month, having turned in a rousing nine-song set at the Moon River Festival in Chattanooga on September 11^th. They’ll be back October 16^th as well, for a show at The Caverns in Grundy County, and if you are a fan of essential, melodic, lyric-driven rock and roll that dares to believe that human beings can come together, grow, listen, and even celebrate in the midst of these divided and confusing days, you should get yourself to one of their shows.

 

Vocalist, principal songwriter, and guitarist, Taylor Goldsmith and his brother, drummer Griffin Goldsmith, bassist Wylie Gelber, keyboardist Lee Pardini, and guitarist Trevor Menear delivered yet another air-tight performance at the historic auditorium. Their particular brand of inspirational and aspirational rock feels particularly at home in the Ryman’s church environs. With songs that spanned all of their seven-album catalog, and two that have yet to be recorded, they performed for over two hours and didn’t even touch on hits like “Time Spent in Los Angeles,” or “A Little Bit of Everything.” The truth is, they didn’t even need those songs for the set to work. That’s how strong their catalog is.

 

There’s a significant difference between the lush, layered, and often understated sound Dawes commits to tape and the way they present those same songs on stage. The live show is boisterous, dense, and loud (though surprisingly well mixed and listenable in terms of actual volume.)But the songs are so well crafted, and Taylor Goldsmith is such a skilled singer, they come off brilliantly in both settings. The records reward careful listening with sonic details, complex textures, and tasteful embellishment. The concerts are simpler and more direct, each instrument sounds clear and powerful, the harmonies sit right where they belong, and every lyric is discernable. The recordings provide intimacy and detail, which the live show creates a throng of communal singing and crowd participation. They are two different sides of a rare musical coin.

 

Though there may not be new musical ground broken during a Dawes set, that’s not really the point. Theirs is familiar musical terrain explored in new ways. At times it sounds as if a young, vital, still hungry version of The Eagles or Tom Petty and The Heartbreakers is jamming with Jackson Browne, and they happened to have spent time with Warren Zevon for some songwriting ideas. Taylor comes off more like a friend than a rock star – or maybe even a brother with words of encouragement and wisdom.  He’s like the best cross between a bartender and a chaplain. You want to hear his loving rebuke when he asks, “Who Do You Think You’re Talking To?” You hunger for another microfiber of the mystery of the human condition to be lifted as he sings “Crack the Case.” And when he digs into a love song he comes up with lines like:

I need a boundless, soft way to commend
Like you as a temper and I as its tender end
And however long your fits last
I will live within your shadow cast (Love Is All I Am)

Or, from one of his new songs – possibly entitled “Someone Else’s Café” or “Doomscroller Tries to Relax” there’s this line:

Let’s enjoy each other’s company
On the brink of our despair
Does someone have a song to sing
Or a joke that they could share?

I’ve written before about the pastoral nature of Dawes’ music. It’s rarely as palpable as when they play at The Ryman but it’s hard not to catch wherever one intersects with their work. They come as servants of their audience, committed not only to helping folks escape for a few hours but to actually contemplate deeper things in ways that might bring lasting peace. That they do it with such satisfying music is a blessing indeed. This is thus not just feel-good rock. For those with ears to hear, Taylor Goldsmith and Dawes are laying out humble breadcrumbs toward a defiantly narrow path in today’s musical landscape. They seem to actually believe in something.

If you missed my take on their most recent studio album, Good Luck With Whatever, you can check that out HERE.

 

Dawes Setlist Oct 3, 2021,

(Playlist Is Missing the 2 Unreleased Songs)

Who Do You Think You’re Talking To?

Fire Away

Things Happen

Picture of a Man

Love Is All I Am

From a Window Seat

Me Especially

When the Tequila Runs Out

Someone Else’s Cafe or Doomscroller Tries To Relax

Crack the Case (Taylor Acoustic)

House Parties (Taylor Acoustic)

If I Wanted Someone

Feed the Fire

When My Time Comes

Most People

Still Feel Like a Kid

All Your Favorite Bands

Encore: My Way Back Home