Band of Horses w/ Dad Bod• September 30, 2022• Gallivan Center
Reviewed and Photographed by Alisha Gregson
Final SLC Twilight of 2022
Friday, September 30th, marked the end of the 2022 Twilight Summer Concert Series. Band of Horses performed an awesome show to wrap up an already incredible season of concerts. The South Carolina-based indie rock band was not originally included in the lineup for the summer series. Their show was added to the schedule shortly after Rainbow Kitten Surprise, unfortunately, had to cancel what would have been the first concert for the season. Local band Dad Bod was originally scheduled to open for Rainbow Kitten Surprise. I imagine it must have been disappointing for them when their original show was canceled. I was happy to see they were given the opportunity to open for Band Of Horses. The Gallivan center was filled with excited fans, ready to enjoy the final concert of another epic summer of Twilight Concerts.
Dad Bod
I’ve heard a lot about the local band Dad Bod. I was excited for the opportunity to finally see them perform. The band has been described as psychedelic rock, chill rock, and indie pop. The soothing vocals of lead singer Michael Marinos, combined with the dreamy instrumentals accompanying him, gave their songs an almost hypnotic feel. After a few songs, Marinos pointed out that his parents were at the concert. He mentioned that it was his dad who first introduced him to Band of Horses’ music. Dad Bod had a really fun stage presence, and I enjoyed the playful way they interacted with the crowd.
At one point they invited people to join them at their after-party at Michael’s house where they would be watching Spy Kids 2. After chatting for a minute about which band member’s mom would be picking them up after the concert, they got back to the music. They were a lot of fun to see live. I look forward to the opportunity to attend more of their shows in the future. They did a fantastic job playing their first Twilight Concert Series show. I am sure it will not be their last.
Band of Horses
As Band of Horses walked out onto the stage in front of a very enthusiastic crowd, I noticed the band had a laid-back and friendly energy. Instead of jumping right into their first song, lead singer Ben Bridwell spoke to the crowd. He had a big smile on his face. The way he greeted his audience with a chipper “Hey everybody, how ya doing?”, reminded me of somebody walking into a big party full of all their friends. He then said he was going to be real for a second.
“We have our friends and family all in South Carolina and North Carolina going through that big storm today. So it’s been a little bit harrowing. We are lucky as crap we got here. We got the last flight out of South Carolina to make sure we can be here tonight. Barely, by the skin of our teeth got here, and we are so glad to be here. We are nervous for our people at home, but I think we can do them proud by playing a good show for you all tonight. ” I imagine it may have been a little more difficult than normal to concentrate and perform while they were worried about their families at home being affected by Hurricane Ian. Whatever concerns they were feeling did not hold them back in any way from putting on an amazing performance.
Before they began playing, they mentioned that they had been opening for other bands recently. But had not had their own show in quite some time. Over the summer Band of Horses spent time opening for The Black Keys. Unfortunately, at The Black Keys concert at USANA earlier this year, only Ben Bridwell was able to perform due to other members of the band having Covid at the time. Fans who missed out on the full Band of Horses experience in July were especially excited for Friday night’s concert. Bridwell thanked the audience for giving them their own show, and then it was time for the music.
The first song of their set was “The First Song.” It was an obvious choice, and I appreciated the irony. Band of Horses did an excellent job keeping the audience engaged as they played through a set mostly consisting of their older music like, “No One’s Gonna Love You,” “Laredo,” and “Is There a Ghost.” Having just released a new album, Things Are Great, earlier this year, the band was eager to play some of their new stuff for their fans. While I did notice fewer people singing along, the crowd still enjoyed their new songs “Warning Signs,” “Lights,” and “Crutch.” The band had an alt-rock sound with certain songs, and with others, they had more of a southern rock vibe. There was even a moment where I felt like I was at a country concert. They played a cover of “Neon Moon” by Brooks & Dunn.
While the audience seemed to be loving the concert, the energy at the Gallivan Center remained fairly mellow throughout most of the evening. There was a very noticeable increase in excitement after Bridwell told the crowd, “This next one is about y’all”. They began to play “The Great Salt Lake”. As expected, the song was met with an enthusiastic reaction. While they play “The Great Salt Lake” at almost all of their shows across the country, I imagine their Salt Lake City fans bring a different energy level than anywhere else. Bridwell then told the crowd they would be right back, and they walked off the stage for a few minutes.
Having just been told that the band would come right back out, the audience felt no need to cheer for an encore. Instead, people chatted or waited silently for Band of Horses to return. When they did return, they played “Ode To LRC,” then finished the night with “The Funeral.” They had hoped to play a third encore song. But unfortunately, with the venue’s 10 pm curfew, they ran out of time. Band of Horses did an excellent job entertaining the crowd, and successfully wrapped up this year’s Twilight Series. I am already looking forward to whatever the Twilight Concert Series has in store for us next summer.
