The Avett Brothers expanded their repertoire exponentially in the past two years, with a pair of albums 2012s The Carpenter and last years Magpie and the Dandelion that each debuted in the Top 5 of the Billboard 200.
But with six albums before those, the North Carolina roots-rock group discovered its challenging to figure out what to play each night.
Its definitely gotten harder, acknowledges Seth Avett, the younger of two brothers who front the group. The real estate on the set list has become very valuable. Theres all these different spots you want to hit in a night; you want to satisfy all these different goals while retaining some of the spontaneity and the fire of the moment. You also want to nod to the past some for the folks that have come to hear November Blue or the songs we wrote 13, 14 years ago.
Were starting to get a good feel for why (Bruce) Springsteen sets are normally three hours-plus, or why the Grateful Dead would play for three hours a night. Its starting to make sense to us.
Avett says the group, which expanded to a quartet after starting with just him and his brother Scott, also adapted the improvisational philosophy of those forebears, with less reverence for the songs recorded form.
Thats one thing I sort of warmed to over the years, explains Avett. I used to think that when you recorded a song thats all the song was and that was it. ...
Now it seems thats all out the window. I find myself subscribing much more to the (Bob) Dylan mentality where nothings set in stone. The song is brand new every night; it can be a different key, a different rhythm, a different genre. It can take whatever turn it needs to take, and your job is to stay the hell out of the way when it needs to take a different turn.
The Avetts have started working on their next album, which the group plans to record this fall with producer Rick Rubin in California.
Old Crow Medicine Show performs with the Avett Brothers at 7:30 p.m. Friday, May 30, at the Meadow Brook Music Festival on the campus of Oakland University, Rochester Hills. Tickets are $68.50 and $60.50 pavilion, $44.50 lawn. Call 248-377-0100 or visit www.palacenet.com.
