We'd already seen them live (twice!) since coming to Boston, but this was the first time they were headlining, with their Odd Soul album no less. Their latest is arguably their best yet: their iconic sound fused with a little extra soul and a lot of open honesty about roots that Ian and I can relate to.
The evening started off with Canon Blue, which didn't captivate me, but was a solid opening act. Then we were on to the main event.
The band marched in from the back to a single snare drum, holding poles that lofted strings of summer lights above the short parade that weaved through the crowd and onto the stage.
Paul Meany started off by saying they would play every song on the Odd Soul album, with plenty of older favorites in the mix as well. Which equaled two and a half hours solid of amazing sound.
The set was stunning. A white pyramid of screens behind them filled with constantly changing projections: clever and artistic graphics that responded to the music, interspersed with live shots of the band playing.
And during several songs, Paul Meany and Darren King each made their way to the middle of the floor via a rolling piece of stage and, in once instance, a double tall air mattress lined with lights that looked rather like a spaceship hovering over the crowd.
I'm still amazed at the humility and joy these guys exude when they're performing. They love what they do, and while I'm sure they want to put on a great show for their fans, they'd be making music with or without us.
And really, isn't that what great art is all about?
See more of our photos here.