Hot off the heels of two nights shows at The Ryman in Nashville, Punch Brothers returned to North Carolina for their last of three shows in the Tar Heel State.
In contrast with their first North Carolina show at Black Mountain’s Pisgah Brewing – an outdoor venue with a laid-back festival feel – the eighth stop on their All Ashore album tour brought them to the prestigious Durham Performing Arts Center.
In contrast with their first North Carolina show at Black Mountain’s Pisgah Brewing – an outdoor venue with a laid-back festival feel – the eighth stop on their All Ashore album tour brought them to the prestigious Durham Performing Arts Center.
Despite being a large auditorium, DPAC is a cozy venue. The space is well-designed and the view is incredible from any seat in the house. I sat in the back of the main tier and felt as if I could kick back and enjoy the music anywhere in the house. I’ve previously shot events from the front row in DPAC and both experiences were equally enjoyable.
The V.I.P Experience
For this show, I had the privilege of joining the band for their pre-show VIP experience, the Punch Sessions, an exclusive three-song set followed by an audience Q & A. To keep the experience intimate, no photography was allowed during the set, but the feel was casual and relaxed, with the band still dressed down and relaxed after sound check.
I grabbed a seat on the front row with a couple dozen committed fans. It was nice having a front row seat and having the time to sit and enjoy a bit of the show without the stress of working the event. It also afforded me the opportunity to get a bit of mandolin advice from one of my musical heroes.
During the pre-show Q&A, frontman Chris Thile explained that their new album, All Ashore, explores a couple of prominent themes. First is the transitions to parenthood that a couple of the band members have recently experienced — Chris with his three year old and violinist Gabe Witcher with two children under five — and how children fundamentally change one’s identity. To this end, during the show, Chris dedicated the title track, All Ashore, to the parents in the audience.
The second theme that the album explores is navigating one of the most unsettled political climates of our generation. Like many modern artists who are evoking and exploring questions about our political climate, the theme is often weaved into the lyrics, but occasionally take center stage, such as in the song Jumbo.
The Show
I’ve discussed the artists’ style and music in my previous review of their Black Mountain, NC show, so I won’t repeat myself here. The enchanting Madison Cunningham again opened for the group.
The group’s setlist has evolved as the tour has progressed. Tracks from All Ashore still made up much of the setlist, though now that the album has been released, the band didn’t make as big a deal of drawing attention to it.
From here, the Punch Brothers tour will bring them through the northeast and across the country to the Pacific coast before taking the tour abroad to Europe this November. Find a show near you and purchase tickets at PunchBrothers.com.