photo by Renata Steiner (view set)
“Are you digging our laid-back vibe?” Band of Horses band leader Ben Bridwell asked the audience during their recent concert at Seattle’s Moore Theatre. Following their recently released live recording, Acoustic at the Ryman, Bridwell and co. chose to perform very loose, rootsy interpretations from their entire catalog, often gathering the core string players — Bridwell, Ryan Monroe and Tyler Ramsey — around a single microphone, old-timey style. “It’s not our usual mode of performing live”, Ben confessed when the one-time locals stopped by KEXP earlier that afternoon for a live session with Cheryl Waters, but the fragility and tension of playing the songs that way was hard to deny... for them and us. Though the method may be older than the dust on your grandpappy’s boots, the result is a fresh take on the band’s songs old and new. Enjoy this homecoming of sorts as Band of Horses return in a way you haven’t heard them before:
Full Performance:
