Dawes brings timeless rock style to Cat's Cradle

All photos by Kevin Norris

California rockers Dawes rolled back into Carrboro on Saturday for a spectacular show at the Cat's Cradle. It was the band's third stop in the Triangle this year, having played the Cradle in May (review and photos HERE) and at Koka Booth Amphitheatre opening for Alison Krauss in August (review and photos HERE).

The band, especially frontman Taylor Goldsmith, were on fire, burning through a set of tunes from their two albums. The venue was packed and Goldsmith fed off the energy of the crowd, bounding around the stage while he played and roaring when he sang. The energy was circular, as the crowd sang the lyrics back to the band keeping the fire going.

It's hard to single out particular songs that were highlights since they were all fantastic, but the beautiful harmonies on "So Well" and a fantastic cover of Paul Simon's "Kodachrome," sung by drummer Griffin Goldsmith, stood out.

As the set drew to a close, the a massive singalong accompanied the band's most popular song, "When My Time Comes." As the encore began, the Goldsmith brothers returned alone around a single microphone to sing a particularly moving version "Take Me Out of the City." As the rest of the band returned, they closed with "That Western Skyline" and the catchy "Fire Away."

Taylor Goldsmith was all smiles all night and expressed his love for playing North Carolina. I'd expect the band to be back frequently if the crowds are as good as Saturday's.

The bill was a co-headline which featured Portland band Blitzen Trapper before Dawes. Unfortunately, their brand of classic rock came off more cheesy. The few acoustic numbers in the set like "Furr" sounded nice, but when they strapped on the electric guitars, it went downhill fast. The band certainly seemed to be enjoying themselves and their energy was admirable, but it just didn't work.

Dawes set list
The Way You Laugh
How Far We've Come
Million Dollar Bill
When You Call My Name
If I Wanted Someone
So Well
Coming Back to a Man
Peace in the Valley
Kodachrome
A Little Bit of Everything
When My Time Comes
Time Spent in Los Angeles
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Take Me Out of the City
That Western Skyline
Fire Away

Dawes






Blitzen Trapper