Always go see the opener
On discovering my generation's Fleetwood Mac(-ish) the old-fashioned way
The unique thrill of discovering something brand new seemingly out of the blue is getting harder to find as improving technology hurtles us through days at increasing speeds. We generally know when we want to find something and mostly what it is, often allowing Google to get us the rest of the way. If we need something new to listen to, we might let Spotify’s algorithms guide us to something adjacent to what we’ve heard most recently.
It’s still nice to hear a song for the first time that way and bookmark it accordingly (or forget to and then struggle to find it again upon that realization). That AI-accelerated process still adds badly needed variety to avoid a stale playlist. But there’s something far more satisfying about physically walking into a place ready to sing familiar songs and walking out having gained new favorites through slightly more cosmic coincidence.
Opening acts don’t bat 1.000, of course. Knowing this, concert-goers use the time before the headliner to grab a drink, scout out where they can best utilize their GA ticket-holding status, and mingle with live music in the background.
That’s how my fiancee and I stumbled upon Bailen and their effortlessly powerful (or delicate) harmonies a couple of years ago. The crowd that was filtering into Washington, DC’s 9:30 Club that night was there to see The Lone Bellow, a more tenured trio who deliver their own brand of goosebump-inducing three-part harmonies in a slightly southern-sounding, folksy, bluesy package.
Arriving early to a show is a stress-free, no-strings-attached musical roulette roll. As someone who’s never actually played roulette, I can only assume that the feeling when you hit on something is similarly exhilarating.
The moment in Bailen’s opening set in which I watched roughly 1,000 people simultaneously hit that indie/alt/folk rock roulette win was unmistakable. The best way I can recreate it for you is to tell you to similarly gather 1,000 captivated people, put on this song, and turn it up around the 2:41 mark.
When the band’s drummer, David Bailen, mentioned on stage that they’d be returning to DC just a few months later at “some ping pong pizza place” (yes, DC readers, that ping pong pizza place), my fiancee and I made sure to be there to see them again.
We recently logged another Bailen headline show at the 9:30 Club’s newly constructed and more cozy neighbor, The Atlantis. Fleetwood Mac’s “The Chain” was on the setlist this time, which would be a bold choice for nearly anyone else. But seeing a group with just the right sound re-enact such a defining piece of rock literature was an experience I won’t forget.
So while this is partially a newsletter telling you to follow a particular band and go to a show the next time they’re near you, it’s more broadly a suggestion to just go see more music live.
Buy the $20-$30 ticket to a small venue, and always go see the opener. You may find your next headliner.
Coffee: Methodical Coffee (Greenville, SC)
I have to credit many others with this suggestion that I finally got to try for myself on a trip to Greenville for a wedding (Go Dins, IYKYK). While they probably won’t ship their amazing pastries, they will ship you any of their incredible, complex coffee. Bonus points for the art on the packaging.
Wine: Ken Wright Pinot Noir Willamette (Ken Wright Cellars, Oregon)
I first bought this on a Vivino fact-finding mission for a Christmas gift to my future in-laws, and was lucky enough to get to try it with them on the gift-giving Christmas trip. It’s really delicious, which may be part of the reason that they gave their blessing for me to marry their daughter. How’s that for a stamp of approval?
Oregon’s cooler climate is perfect for growing a more delicate, thin-skinned grape like Pinot Noir, and you can taste the reasons why at the link above.
Sounds: Nothing Left to Give (Bailen, Tired Hearts)
Another Bailen song to close us out. This live studio recording jumps right into the kind of harmony that defines the band’s brilliance, so make sure the headphones are turned up accordingly for optimal feels.