Progressive rock band, The Dear Hunter, played a free show alongside fellow Providence-based bands last Thursday night at The Met in Pawtucket, Rhode Island.
Progressive pop band, Bored with Four, opened the show. Bored with Four is compiled of two members of The Dear Hunter, Andrew Brown (keyboardist) and Nick Sollecito (bassist), along with two other members, Alex Chapman and Rich Ferri. The band’s entrancing yet relaxing sound grabbed the crowd’s attention instantly and held it throughout their entire set. With a minimalist approach to their songs, the band was able to create a relaxed and positive atmosphere throughout the venue. The crowd was very receptive to the band’s performance, helping to excite the audience for what was to come throughout the rest of the night.
Next to the stage was folk doom band Bloodpheasant, fronted by Shannon Le Corre. Their style was a big switch from the first opening act, since they combined a mixture of heavy riffs and drawn out melodic soundscapes to showcase an interesting sound. The band uniquely featured a mixture of sludgy guitars and distant layered vocals, creating a dreamy yet eerie sound that both surprised and impressed the audience. Their sound was different from the other two bands that performed that night, but they created a nice break in between the two sets and gave the audience a chance to appreciate a different style.
Lastly, The Dear Hunter appeared on stage, and the crowd instantly erupted with excitement. With each song, the crowd screamed the lyrics and jumped up and down, dancing to the music. The band played both newer and older songs, such as hits “Home†off their 2011 album “The Color Spectrumâ€, and “Wait†off their 2015 album “Act IV: Rebirth In Repriseâ€, keeping all the fans satisfied with the setlist.
The band is known for their interesting, cohesive albums, which when completed, will create a six part story about a boy referred to only as “The Dear Hunterâ€. So far, out of their six studio albums, four of the albums are “acts†that all share this concept. The other two acts have yet to be released, but the band has plans for them to drop in the future. In addition, the band released “The Color Spectrum†in 2011, which was the start of a multiple EP concept project that would focus each EP on a different color of the spectrum.
All the band members were very appreciative of the fans who came out that night, and stated how happy they were to be back in Rhode Island. Fans cheered and clapped as the band continued on with the performance. With three guitarists, a bassist, drummer and keyboardist, the stage was packed with musicians, but the band didn’t seem to mind. They delivered a very strong performance with their fun, indie sound, that made the crowd happy to be where they were.
The Dear Hunter will begin a new tour in May with bands O’Brother and Rare Futures. Tour information can be found on The Dear Hunter’s Facebook page.