Concert review: Kevin Morby at The Orange Peel

Is Kevin Morby’s band today’s best touring ensemble?

It’s a legitimate question after his stunning return to The Orange Peel on Oct. 20, and if Meg Duffy was still playing guitar with him each night, one could make an excellent case for the affirmative. (Those lucky enough to see the Hand Habits mastermind reunite with their former bandmate in LA a few weeks ago — you have my envy.)

Following the dulcet tunes of opener Cassandra Jenkins’ duo guitar set, Morby and his six-piece group took to the stage for what briefly suggested a full sequential performance of his Album of the Year candidate, This Is a Photograph. 

Confidently combining his Dylan-esque vocals and storytelling with an uncanny gift for melodies and orchestration, the Kansas City Kid set a winning tone early with his latest record’s ripper of a title track, the slow crescendo of “A Random Act of Kindness” — with its infectious choruses of “sun came up!” at the climax — and the laid-back duet “Bittersweet Tennessee,” during which backing vocalist Elizabeth Moen earned the first of many cheers from the adoring crowd.

Nearly a year to the day after playing the same venue on a bill with Hamilton Leithauser, during which the co-headliners shared a band during their separate times on stage, the difference between that experience and Morby’s own fully hand-picked ensemble was immediately evident.

In no way was Morby slacking during the 2021 show, but there was a certain sense of compromise to the overall sound last year that wasn’t present here or in his two prior Asheville performances, both of which were solo gigs: 2017 at the Masonic Temple as part of a trio of solo sets with Mary Lattimore and his partner Waxahatchee, and two years later at the Diana Wortham Theatre as part of Harvest Records’ Transfigurations III, again with the talented Ms. Crutchfield.

To paraphrase Macklemore, us plebs’ fringe game pales in comparison to Morby’s, but backing up the impeccable Western wardrobe choices and a stage arrangement that kept the eyes engaged throughout the night was some of the best indie rock of the past decade.

Following the fifth consecutive This is a Photograph selection, “Rock Bottom,” Morby announced that the band would “play some old songs” and quickly dipped into highlights from his previous two collections: “Campfire,” from his 2021 winner Sundowner, and “No Halo” from 2019’s Oh My God, that latter of which showcased his band’s ability to transition from subtle sounds to epic electric drops.

Cyrus Gengras (guitar), Dave Sherman (keys), and the synchronized rhythm section of Liam Kazar (bass) and Stephen Patterson (drums) wove an impressive sonic blanket off of which Morby could comfortably do his thing, but the fascinating saxophone and flute contributions from Cochemea Gastelum rendered him nearly as captivating as the frontman. 

But this was Morby’s show through and through, and he further endeared himself to attendees by punctuating most songs with his trademarked “Thank you very much!” And while the band’s setlist hasn’t varied much during this tour, the players nevertheless brought a passion to such well-worn fan favorites as “I Have Been to the Mountain” and closing pick “Harlem River,” the latter of which tied a practically perfect bow on a terrific evening.

Your move, Wilco, Vampire Weekend, Spoon, and The National.

(Photos by Justin Bowman)