Elephant Revival performs at the Ogden Theatre on Dec. 5th, 2015
When <a href="http://Elephant Revival took to the stage Friday night gussied up in ball gowns and suit coats, they immediately filled The Ogden with a pure, unfiltered sound that required no introduction. Bonnie Paine, Daniel Rodriguez and Bridget Law have a way of harmonizing so sweetly that it physically drew the packed Ogden crowd right up to the stage.
Opening with “Remembering a Beginning” from their 2013 album These Changing Skies illuminated the band’s ability to play the hell out of every single instrument they brought. The band, also including Charlie and Dango Rose, embraces their deep bluegrass sound and packs in crowds, inviting them all to try to keep up.
There’s something seductive about a beautiful woman with a washboard, and Bonnie Paine’s evocative vocals paired with her skilled washboard playing skills is something of which dreams are made. And so are the bands’ lyrics, mostly about foggy, unrequited love, as they filled the air.
Elephant Revival doesn’t take the stage and make the audience want to go balls to the wall – they are elegant in their seduction of their fans. They shot from the upbeat, two-step worthy “Tam Lin Set” to the sweet, Celtic flavored “The Truth,” “Spinning (Hearts & Tongues).”
Charlie Rose then introduced a new song they had just finished—as in just that morning—titled “Don’t Know Nothin’” which normally would send fans straight to the bar, but not one person budged. The upbeat new addition fit perfectly in the band’s set.
When a band has this much musical talent, itap hard to not be coaxed right up to the stage—and thatap exactly what happened when the band demanded David Tiller (producer on several of their albums) play the mandolin on “Sing To The Mountain.” And although his mandolin skills were no match for Rose’s, he did a damn fine job. So did the sexy ladies doing the aerial fabric acrobatics—a gorgeous and effective complement to the intense focus necessary to play some of the instruments in the mix on stage.
The band packed their set full of old and new songs and kept the energy flowing with their frequent instrument changes. At no time was the pure unadulterated musical talent more apparent than when Paine played the musical saw in “Ring Around The Moon” and announced that it would be the first time she played the cello on “Furthest Shore.” And sure, she may have stumbled over some lyrics, but thanked the audience for being “so sweet” and picked up as If nothing had happened.
The band packed their show with what felt like every song they’d ever written. Moving from “Flight Patterns,” “Point of You” (which highlighted Pain’s mad drum skills), “Lost Creek,” “Petals,” and “I’m Askin’.” And then with two notes of Jefferson Airplanes’ “White Rabbit” the band completely changed the feel of the show – the performance of the song highlighted the vocal diversity Bonnie Paine is capable of. With no real break the band came back to perform “Burn Bright,” “What is Time” and finally “Single Beds.”
Itap difficult to highlight just one aspect of last nightap show – the songs are all strikingly unique and Elephant Revival has no fear of introducing crowds to the beauty that is the double-bass, fiddle, pedal steel, and musical saw. (This eclectic mastery is surely what landed them their May 22, 2016 Red Rocks gig the band announced to much fanfare from the crowd.)
Sure, their lyrics are beautiful and certainly the group is vocally gifted, but itap the strength with which they play every damn instrument they unpack that makes you feel like you’ve been drinking Jack and Coke all day. Experiencing Elephant Revival is like that feeling you get in your gut right before that very first kiss. And that? Thatap just magic.
Setlist
