Review: Dawes at The Orange Peel

Rock ’n roll is back!

More accurately, I’m back at rock ’n roll shows after a much needed three-month hiatus, and few Asheville combinations could be more welcoming than Dawes at The Orange Peel.

Though the venue’s loud, rude, drunk crowd for Grace Potter in November temporarily threw me off the live music scent, the more respectful clientele that the Brothers Goldsmith tend to draw gave me confidence that a rewarding evening awaited. That trust was honored early and often by artists and fans alike March 7 as the LA rockers made the most of two full sets the night before linking up with Lucious in Charlottesville, Va., for a monthlong tour.

Far jammier than the last time I’d seen them live — nearly 13 years prior, co-headlining with Blitzen Trapper on this same stage — Dawes’ occasional Grateful Dead tangents felt representative of a group that’s grown significantly since Nothing is Wrong, the breakthrough second album that first brought them to town. And yet the core of their sound remained focused on tight grooves and catchy melodies, accented by some of the smoothest guitar solos this side of Meg Duffy and Vampire Weekend.

Clearly elated to be performing Dawes’ first gig of 2024, vocalist/guitarist Taylor Goldsmith energetically showcased his duals skills, confidently laying down complex riffs while sharing his distinct blend of conversational and intentionally repetitive songwriting (e.g. “Still Feel Like a Kid”). And back on drums, Griffin Goldsmith remained an engaging visual scene-stealer, complementing his passionate kit work with committed air bites and the particular type of honey-sweet harmonies that only brothers can achieve.

Back at the front of the stage, Taylor’s handful of harmonic guitar duets with Trevor Menear were life-giving while Frank LoCrasto (keys), Alexander "Z" Lynch (bass), and Ian Bush (auxiliary percussion) rounded out the full sound. Each selection was well-received by the rapt crowd, but “the hits” — relatively speaking: good luck getting random passersby to name one Dawes song — went over particularly well.

“If I Wanted” got the kind of raucous response Jenny Lewis receives when she plays “Rise Up With Fists!!”; Taylor barely got through three introductory guitar notes on “Things Happen” before cheers drowned out the rest of the lead-in; and “When My Time Comes” ended the first set with a hearty singalong.

After a not quite as short break as Taylor promised, he returned for Part Deux with a pair of solo acoustic numbers, the latter of which was none other than “Something in Common,” whose Asheville inception at Echo Mountain Recording was recounted by the frontman with cheers from the seemingly informed faithful. Like pieces in a puzzle, his bandmates gradually rejoined him onstage, adding in parts until the full sound returned, including all-too-brief harmonies by the brothers at the center mic.

But the show must go on, and with it came the gorgeous songwriting and harmonies of “Million Dollar Bill” (still bested by the Middle Brother version), and an unfairly strong closing trio of “Most People,” “Fire Away,” and “All Your Favorite Bands.”

When Taylor’s planned solo acoustic encore of “A Little Bit of Everything” went awry due to mystery issues at the mic, he walked to the edge of the stage, started playing, and was soon joined by a chorus of knowledgable die-hard supporters. Though he sang every word, he happily let his impromptu collaborators shine and was visibly touched by the gesture — a sight somewhat frequent at the Peel when trusting artists put their faith in the crowd, yet which raised the question of how often such things occur in other venues, and where else Goldsmith would dare attempt such a thing.

He might try it again at the Peace Center’s outdoor pavilion on Friday, April 12 — and he might not.

I may or may not be there to find out.

(Photos by Micah Rogers)