On Saturday, November 16th, I had the wonderful opportunity to attend Dawes’ Oh Brother tour at The Salt Shed. The folk and indie infused rock band has been a touring group since 2009, and their appearance in Chicago this past weekend marked the group’s largest show in the city to date. This is the group’s first tour since amicably parting ways with members Wylie Gelber (bass) and Lee Pardini (piano), leaving brothers Taylor and Griffin Goldsmith as the only remaining members of the group, and thus, the genesis of the album and tour’s name.
Joined by opening act and frequent collaborator, the Winnetka Bowling League, the evening was full of classics and new favorites, in a fast-paced, yet sentimental show. The setlist was a considerate tour of their discography, and to a long-time listener, felt similar to taking someone on a tour of your hometown, showing them all your favorite places and reminiscing on all of the memories you made at each stop. I have been a loyal Dawes fan for about as long as I can remember, and I have developed a unique attachment to many of their songs, but given the group’s tendency to never repeat the same setlist, it is rare that a listener like myself could hear all of their favorite songs in one night. This show was one of those rare instances, where my ideal setlist aligned with what Taylor and Griffin were thinking as well, making for an especially enjoyable experience.
The band highlighted the majority of their latest album, Oh Brother, including singles “House Parties” and “Surprise!,” working in the new material with years-old favorites like “Things Happen” and “When the Tequila Runs Out” seamlessly. This show was just the eighth stop of a 35-show tour, with shows spanning into next April (with a break between January and April). For still being relatively early into this leg of the tour, the band had already found a noticeable groove, with thoughtful connections on solos and instrumental breaks. Despite their recent change in personnel, the group exhibited the same creative lyricism and genre-twisting instrumentals that fans have come to love, which was also paralleled on the stage.
Dawes’ performance at The Salt Shed was an engaging culmination of the group’s winding history, and one that certainly marked an X on the map of the direction the band is headed. When bands go on tour for the purpose of putting on a great show, the crowd can feel it, and this performance was a perfect display of that passion. Taylor and Griffin Goldsmith have put together another thoughtful body of work in their latest album Oh Brother, and this tour is the perfect accompaniment to that composition. And, by continuing on with just the Goldsmith brothers, Dawes has made sure to fulfill their wish to listeners as written in a 2015 song: “May all your favorite bands stay together.”