Eugene got an epic, heartwarming gift Wednesday night. Those in attendance for “The Head and the Heart” at the McDonald Theatre were undoubtedly moved by the night’s performances. Eugene played host to three Seattle groups, with “Curtains For You” and Bryan John Appleby opening up for headliners “The Head and the Heart.”
After a stellar performance from Bryan John Appleby, The “Head and the Heart” took to the stage with a booming applause from a considerably large Wednesday-night crowd.
The six-piece group took the crowd on an emotional roller coaster. They opened up with folk rock dance ballads and balanced out carefree tunes with heart-wrenching acoustic love songs. The night was characterized by a perfectly executed amalgamation of hope and sorrow.
The audience hung on every last note and lyric. The night was defined by moments of celebration and whimsical delight and by contrast, tears, with an audience reciting lyrics back at Seattle’s emerging folk rock troupe.
It’s important to recognize just how exceptional this eclectic group’s music is. In the end, music is meant to move you. Some music moves you physically but other times it can move you spiritually.
Live music provides a healing aesthetic; whether you’re stressed, sad, or frustrated, music provides a release. While the show may have been scheduled in the middle of a busy school week, it made for a necessary maintenance of sanity. The “Head and the Heart” use their unwavering stage presence to deliver a performance where everyone feels included. Fans both new and old were given a performance to rave about to their friends.
As the night slowly came to an end, the group left the stage only to return a minute or two later at the rowdy request of the crowd; however, Josiah Johnson returned for a solo, acoustic performance of a riveting, gut-wrenching song about love and loss. As the emotional song came to an end, the rest of the group met Johnson on the stage and went straight into a sensational live interpretation of their hit track, “Down In The Valley.” The crowd sang along to every note and as they ran off the stage, the crowd was left satisfied.
The “Head and the Heart” put on a performance that drew an overwhelmingly positive response from those in attendance. They have become increasingly popular over the past year and Wednesday night proved that they deserved the respect they have earned.