Last Wednesday, Delta Spirit rolled into Boston for the final stop of their Fall 2012 tour and since seeing them open for The Shins in New York City back in 2008, they have become one of my absolute favorite bands.
Since the release of their second full length album “History From Below,” the band has spent most of their time performing both headlining gigs and major festival shows such as Lollapalooza, South by Southwest, and Austin City Limits. In addition to relentless touring, the band has spent the last four years undergoing a tremendous evolution through the release of their three full length studio albums. Bringing with them this experience and depth I was ready for them to put on a tremendous rock show, and they did just that.
Opener JEFF the Brotherhood set the tone for what was to come: Rock and Roll. The band, consisting of two actual brothers, played straightforward, dirty, hard-nosed rock and prepared the crowd at the House of Blues for a long night of rocking out. Delta Spirit took the stage around 9:45, opening the set with “Money Saves,” one of my favorite songs of their latest album. The beginning of the set consisted heavily of hits off the new album including “Empty House” and “Tear it Up.” I’ve really come to love the new album, and this was my second time seeing them since its release last winter. However, I don’t think the new songs have the same soul live in concert as the older jams, so I was excited when the set started to turn toward the first two albums. Their extended jams on songs like “Bushwick Blues” and “White Table” epitomized to me what live rock should be: loud, raw, and exciting.
Frontman Matt Vasquez is one of my favorite musicians and his stage presence alone makes Delta Spirit a band worth seeing live. On stage, Vasquez acts like a kid having the time of his life: screaming, running around the stage and jumping on monitors. His attitude makes the whole experience that much more fun for the audience. At one point between songs Vasquez’ excitement boiled over and he engaged the crowd in a back and forth screaming match, energizing everyone in attendance and preparing them for older rock jams such as “Parade” and “People C’mon.” Those songs are staples at any Delta Spirit concert in my opinion.
This was my sixth time seeing Delta Spirit live, so I have plenty to compare the show to, and I thought it was about as good as it can get (especially at a venue like House of Blues.) The setlist was noticeably deeper than their Spring 2012 show at Paradise and included songs like “Crippler King” off the band’s very first EP, which Vasquez, at times, could not remember all the lyrics to, at which point he turned to some of the audience’s original fans for some assistance.
After a two-song encore, I thought the show had come to an end when Vasquez excitedly exclaimed the band had time for one more, which was exactly the song I wanted to hear, “People Turn Around.” The band’s classic Dylan-esque anthem off their first album is a song I had not heard them play live, in its entirety, since the first time I saw them. The crowd was screaming and cheering throughout the song, when in the middle, Vasquez stopped playing and requested silence before he began the second verse, which he told the audience was the most important line he has ever written, and proceeded to play. This was my favorite moment of the show. It felt so raw and personal, something so few bands achieve in a live show, especially at larger, corporate, venue like House of Blues.
The entire concert was a testament to the band’s growth but also their ability to stay true to their roots and put on an ass-kicking, intimate, and personal rock show that old and new fans alike would enjoy. Shows like this are why I love this band so much and why I am absolutely positive that my sixth time seeing them will not be the last.
By: Taylor Chumas