The Avett Brothers are bringing punk-grass to Columbia

The band will play the last show of Ninth Street Summerfest.

By Andrew Terry

Published Sept. 16, 2008

The Avett Brothers are an interesting find.

If it can be trusted, the band's Web site biography states, "If you're almost anywhere in America, you'll hear something different, something special, something you recognize but haven't heard in a long time. It is the sound of a real celebration." If you don't know what that means, you don't know The Avett Brothers.

Hailing from Concord, N.C., the quasi-bluegrass folk group has been amassing a fan base for the past two years with its heart-strung lyrics, jug-band swing and marvelous harmonies. The San Francisco Chronicle described the guys as the, "heavy sadness of Townes Van Zandt, the light pop concision of Buddy Holly, the tuneful jangle of The Beatles and the raw energy of The Ramones."

Not that they care.

"We have never put ourselves in a category," bassist Ben Crawford said. "You can't fit a genre on what we do."

And it's true. Throughout its career, the band's sound has varied from the energy of the Old Crow Medicine Show to the somber-sweet of the Be Good Tanyas.

"We have definitely matured, are evolving," Crawford said. "The longer we do it, the more we grow."

This is clearly heard throughout the band's discography. The earlier albums felt like drunken bluegrass, a far cry from their current sound, which is a folkier, singer-songwriter approach, even if they don't appreciate the label.

The Avett Brothers' lyrics have always been melancholy and usually pertain to lost love.

"(Our music) is seen through your own filter," Crawford said. 

Certain songs, like "The Ballad of Love and Hate," have always felt like stories, an aspect in which the band really shines.

The guys' latest album Second Gleam, is an obvious leap from their earlier works. While mostly solitary folk music, the album still holds your attention with soulful melodies and the brothers' sensational voices. You can't turn away.

One thing that has remained consistent is the band's live performances: They play with raw passion and energy. 

"We are a rock band," Crawford said. "We give everything."

In 2007 the band received the American Music Association's "Duo/Group of the Year" and "Emerging Artist of the Year" awards.

"You tell yourself you don't need the award," Crawford said. "But you can't stop your heart from racing when they list off the names."

The band also earned a recording contract with Columbia Records, for whom they are in the process of recoding their eighth album. Crawford said it has a long way to go.

"We made sure to get a lot of freedom," he said.

Wednesday will be The Brothers' third time playing in Columbia, this time as a part of the Ninth Street Summerfest.

"You can't beat playing outdoors," Crawford said. "We hope people come out and give us a fair shake."