The Avett Brothers; Samantha Crain & the Midnight Shivers

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More About

• Samantha Crain
• Rick Rubin
• The Avett Brothers
• Stephen Sebastian
• Shawnee

The word is that North Carolina's Avett Brothers are on the verge of the big time, awaiting only the mid-August release of their Rick Rubin-produced major-league debut, I and Love and You. Comparisons to Wilco have already surfaced. Judge for yourself, as the trio presumably tries out some of the new stuff for the critters in attendance. So far, the Bros have churned out an impressive country-folk sound draped with Southern gothic overtones and punk-pop attitude, while their quirky harmonies dwell on a wide assortment of angst. Shawnee, Oklahoma-based Samantha Crain and her three-piece Midnight Shivers will open; besides having a great name, they play fractured, indie-influenced folk-rock on their full-length debut, Songs in the Night. Crain's plainspoken vocals have an unsettled quality, a creaky, dark portent that nicely matches Stephen Sebastian's ringing electric guitar while (delightfully) threatening to run off into the night on distracted anthems like "Devils in Boston" and "Bullfight (Change Your Mind)." Meanwhile, languid fare like "The Dam Song" glistens with a kind of stately despair. All ages.
Sat., June 27, 7:30 p.m., 2009