LIVE REVIEW: Dawes, Winnetka Bowling League in Portland, ME (11.23.24)
“Let’s enjoy each other’s company” was the message at State Theatre on Saturday night, as Dawes brought plenty of songs to sing (and a couple of jokes, too) in their almost two-hour set.
Soaring on the high of their latest album, Oh Brother, released in October, they started with album opener “Mister Los Angeles,” a satirical view of life in LA trying to fit in and make it in a world of social media and appearances. Humor runs prevalent throughout the album, their first as just the two brothers, Taylor and Griffin Goldsmith, and they take things back to their roots and keep it lighthearted and warmly personal.
The bluesy “Coming Back to a Man” set one of the tones for the night, the one of instrumental heavy cohesion that laced through the set, weaving together their lyrical storytelling and harmonic interludes. Griffin’s simple, easy drumbeats rolling the train forward and flowing into the slightly bolder “Who Do You Think You’re Talking To?” as they warmed up and built up and the crowd started to fill in more and come down to the floor.
Taking a brief moment to halt the music, Taylor said, “Let’s use this opportunity to hang out with like-minded people,” before introducing the sentimental “House Parties,” a country-tinged ode to late-night, off-the-record, homegrown shows with friends. The jangly, twinkling guitar merged with shiny keys for the Springsteen-esque “Somewhere Along the Way.” With harmonies highlighted, they cooed delicate notes to almost a lull before switching to full electric for a dynamic growth of sound and a guitar solo that blared out to finish it off.
Steeping in the peaks and valleys, the new track “King of the Never-Wills” was slow, sad, and pretty, with lilting drums, crystal vocals, and high aspirations. Continuing in the sentimentality, Taylor called out, “It’s the last night of the first leg of the tour. We’re going to take it for all that it’s worth,” before the prominent bassline of “Roll With the Punches” got people swaying in a different way. A poppier melody and clipping riff lifted the mood for a singalong chorus.
The 10-minute-long “Someone Else’s Cafe/Doomscroller Tries to Relax” took fans on a musical journey that highlighted and cemented the band’s immaculate togetherness, rapidly switching tempos and keys and changing the entire feel of the odyssey flawlessly. All this while keeping the feeling of being in a small studio with session musicians and inviting the audience in for a glimpse.
After the guitars twinkled out, the band left Taylor on stage to his own devices. “This next bit, I need a guitar player,” he said, with members of the crowd volunteering and others wondering what was occurring. Further asking for a bassist, drummer, and keyboardist, the four strangers took the stage and conferred with Taylor for a couple of minutes before making the aptly named “Things Happen.” With audience participation in full swing, everyone joyfully sang along and was amazed at how music can unite people.
The hauntingly beautiful “When My Time Comes” saw Taylor solo on acoustic-electric, crooning out the doleful melody. Stopping just on the last chorus, the crowd carried the song home with only voices crying out into still and silent air.
After a beat of capturing a memory, Griffin made his way back on stage for a brother jam of “Surprise!” The sexy, scorned, vitriol-rich tune carved out a lick with an enchanting bite, showcasing the relationship between the tight-knit brothers who’ve been the heartbeat of the band for 15 years. The full band came back on for “From the Right Angle,” where keys shone and the bluesy undertone carried into an extended outro jam.
The tender ballad “A Little Bit of Everything” returned the calm. Throughout the evening, the band had this certain power to control the dynamics and mood by blending their various styles and influences. They would hit the set’s highs and lows at the right times to make every moment linger.
Countering the ballad with the party anthem, “When the Tequila Runs Out,” raised everyone’s spirits and got people grooving to the beat and raising their glasses. Everyone’s favorite, “All Your Favorite Bands,” ended the main set with a gospel organ, preaching and praying that the merry music makers would continue to bring a sense of unity and happiness. Once again, the audience’s voices concluded the reverie with a soft ringing.
Quickly coming back on for an encore, “If I Wanted Someone” kept the sing-songy feeling going, with a blues-folk sentiment bringing lightheartedness to loneliness. “I hope Dawes can make the days move easy,” they called out, hoping to take a final weight off of everyone’s shoulders for a moment more. Rounding out the night with a new album closer, “Hilarity Ensues,” brought a sad harmonica and a desperate wanting resolved with a glimmering of hope that life will play out.
Dawes brought the crowd through a variety of sounds, genres, levels, and dynamics. The brothers and the session musicians worked together seamlessly and flawlessly. Even though there weren’t many words spoken, they jammed it all in by jamming out.
Notable Opener: Winnetka Bowling League opened with a stage set with gumball machines and old TV monitors, mimicking a mechanic shop in a small town. The new single, “Sha La La,” kicked things off with an upbeat, racing rhythm that was easy to bop along with. Telling short stories about the meanings of songs, lead singer Matt Koma informed of a TikTok channel he followed about a woman sharing her diagnosis of cancer and the steps she took in her relationships and life, which inspired the song “Astrology & Context.” He also mentioned how he was a huge fan of Dawes even before the tour and had seen them many times before starting a friendship. Bringing Taylor and Griffin out for “This is Life,” the brothers added the counterpart vocals to the new singl. Fusing pop vocals and indie beats, they bounced around and left an uplifting atmosphere for what was to come.
Featured image: Jon Chu
