Bombadil charms Duke Gardens with whimsical pop

Photos by Kevin Norris

Wednesday evening brought mercifully mild weather to Duke Gardens which was good for Bombadil, who took to the stage look dapper as always, wearing 1970's style western suits.

The band played a set heavy on songs from their latest album All that the Rain Promises, but also dipped back into their catalog for classics like "Sad Birthday," "Johnny" and "Smile When You Kiss."

The show was a kick off for a short run of east coast tour dates and the band was a bit rusty, not musically so much as just organizationally. The crowd didn't mind waiting a bit between songs while the band figured things out. They simply wanted to hear their hometown heroes do what they do.

Stuart Robinson's vocals sounded particularly amazing during the set, especially when he belted out the song "I Will Wait" solo. The intensity in his voice when he reached the high points of the song and others evokes shivers.

Once the band reached the end of the evening they closed with two fantastic songs, the jaunty "Cavaliers Har Hum" and "So Many Ways to Die." The left the stage briefly and returned for a single-song encore which was a new song which could be on their new album which the band said that they hope to have out by the time they play the Cat's Cradle on September 1. We'll keep you posted when it's officially announced.

Set list
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Sad Birthday
Unicycle
What Does It Mean
Laundromat
Johnny
(new song)
Three Saddest Words
Honeymoon
I Will Wait
Avery [?]
One Whole Year
A Question
Marriage
Smile When You Kiss
Cavaliers Har Hum
So Many Ways to Die
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(new song)