Last Friday, the walls of the Capitol Theatre somehow held firm as three acts blew the roof off. A casually late entrance equaled an upper level seat — an unfortunate truth for my gang of kool kids. Apparently the mature crowd was committed to a night of distinct, tasteful music. Blitzen Trapper said it right: “This is by far the fanciest place we’ve ever played.”
Before those country-classic-crazies took the stage, Bryan John Appleby warmed the crowd with his soul soothing spirit. Within the midst of deep purple lighting and tree planters, four musicians drew a perfect visual and audible backdrop for Appleby. In fact, there was just enough room for his soft acoustics to stand out. Appleby’s stunning performance consisted of captivating guitar riffs, but more outstandingly, pure vocals.
Words are his dominoes. One by one, they fall into a visible pattern of shape and meaning. “The Words of the Revelator,” a song recorded beautifully in the studio, somehow had a remarkably fuller sound on the live stage. As the tempo picked up around 30 seconds in, the perfection left me wide-eyed and frozen.
Nearly as striking as Appleby’s stunning show was the crowd’s performance. Seats were warm with butts, chins were low with drool, and ear canals were opening like cracked pistachios. Utter silence. The only muggle to mutter mumbled, “I don’t know who this guy is, but he is amazing.” The common fan expected the night to feature two spectacular groups, and to their pleasant surprise, a third was named Bryan John Appleby.
Blitzen Trapper and The Head and the Heart sealed the package, making Friday a night to remember. Most memorable from Blitzen Trapper was the rich and dusty “Black River Killer.” Following their impressive set, The Head and the Heart reminded the crowd they were allowed to sing along. And thanks to Charity Rose Thielen’s powerful vocals in “Rivers and Roads,” hundreds of fans become one giant shiver machine.
Post-show, my noggin’s cortex spaghetti was cooked al dente. The taste in my mouth was like chocolate-coated bacon dipped in sprinkles. “20 million more songs! Play 20 million more songs!” Unfortunately, my request failed.