Live music review: Fleet Foxes brought fireworks to Moody Amp 4th of July weekend

When The Strokes skyrocketed onto the music blogosphere in 2001, music journalists pigeonholed them as revitalizing garage rock from the late 60’s. Seattle’s Fleet Foxes debut received similar lazy comparisons to Crosby, Stills & Nash and Simon and Garfunkel reincarnate. While it’s great company, the band has routinely broken the mold in each album cycle, challenging themselves to push the outer edges of their competence and confidence. On July 3 at the Moody Amphitheater, they demonstrated why harmony-rich folk-rock can be sophisticated and breathtaking.

While Robin Pecknold assumes lead songwriter and composer duties for Fleet Foxes, the live performance is a collaborative effort with wide arrangements and many contributors. Pecknold’s childhood friend and lead guitarist, Skyler Skjelset, brought out a mandolin for ‘English House’ and used a violin bow to play his guitar in ‘Drops in the River’. Keyboardist Casey Wescott (one of the core founding members of the group, along with Skjelset and Pecknold) dotted choruses with eloquent keys. Bassist Christian Wargo (the group’s next most tenured member) served second chair for vocals. His children were in the audience for their first concert. (my first was Sting in Nashville). Multi-instrumentalist Morgan Henderson served as the night’s not-so-secret weapon by adding color with tambourines, flutes, percussion, acoustic bass, baritone horn, and more. 

Robin and company’s attire reflects where the band is at musically and elsewhere. After their debut and Helplessness Blues, they dressed like your typical 2000’s indie-folk crew with beanies, flannel and ripped jeans. After Robin moved to NYC to make the self-serious Crack-Up, everyone sported all-black or neutral colors. Now, after recording the pleasant and more free Shore, everyone is sporting looks like they’re en route to a hip Brooklyn bar.

Two trombone players served as a welcome addition after coming aboard during the Crack-Up tour. The band’s set flowed between solo Robin performances like his crooning on ‘Blue Spotted Tail’ to a grandiose maximalist performance of ‘Blue Ridge Mountains’ where all eight members on stage contributed harmonies.

                                                          

For each Fleet Foxes tour, the band frequently opens shows with the first three songs off their most recent record. This night began similarly with ‘Wading in Waist-high Water’ into ‘Sunblind’ and into ‘Can I Believe You’. Shore offers more hope, direct songwriting and straightforward song structures than any of their other work. 

‘Sunblind’, begins with Pecknold commemorating his music idols (Richard Swift, Elliott Smith) before shifting into more abstract imagery. ‘I’m gonna swim for a week in /  Warm American water with dear friends / Just intending that I would delight them / Swimming high on a lea in an Eden.’

While American Water is an album by Silver Jews, it also serves as a double meaning Pecknold has become so deft at serving. It especially resonates on this 4th of July weekend, even if Pecknold won’t explain his reasoning.

With literary references to Cicero and F. Scott Fitzgerald, the songs still manage to deliver memorable hooks without pretentiousness. Instrumentally, even with technical finger-picking styles, capos past the fifth fret, alternate open guitar tunings, and suspended 7th chords, the technical prowess never overshadows the heart of the music.

Every time Pecknold reached for a sip from one of his two water bottles, the crowd roared with excitement. Staying hydrated is worthy of applause in 99 degree Texas humidity. Pecknold politely thanked the crowd after every song.

A few covers dotted the expansive 22-song setlist, such as ‘Phoenix’ by Big Red Machine, Pecknold’s stint collaborating with Aaron Dessner of The National and Justin Vernon aka Bon Iver. The singer also announced Judee Sill’s cover ‘The Kiss’ to one audience member screaming for joy. “Yes!” shouted Robin. “Literally I just need one stoked person and it’s worth it. Thank you.”

I’ve personally seen Fleet Foxes perform at least once during every tour. I can’t wait to see how the band challenges themselves next.

If you like Fleet Foxes check out: Grizzly Bear, Dirty Projectors, The Head and the Heart, Andrew Bird, M. Ward, Jim James

All photos by Drew Doggett