Strand of Oaks with Twin Limb, The Back Room of Collectivo

photo courtesy of CJ Foeckler Photography

The old adage of "never miss a Sunday show" was proven right once again.  Rock 'n roll can't solve life's problems in and of itself, but it can, and does, give us strength.  That sentiment was palpable at Strand of Oaks's sold-out performance this past Sunday at the Back Room at Collectivo Coffee.  Fans were packed into the coffee house well before opener Twin Limb took the stage, and were treated to a night of pure rock goodness.

photo courtesy of CJ Foeckler Photography

Timothy Showalter, the singer-songwriter behind Strand of Oaks, has long been known as an outstanding lyricist who is able to transport his listeners into the intimate settings of his tunes.  His narratives have covered such topics as heartbreak, aspiration, overcoming pain, and longing for better days. However, Showalter took his music in a different direction on his latest release, 2017's Hard Love, opting to channel more hopeful optimistic themes rather than the darker imagery and reminiscence that dominated 2014's critically acclaimed breakthrough record, HEAL as well as his earlier work.

photo courtesy of CJ Foeckler Photography

Showalter is a master of his craft, and the new material came alive on stage with zeal, passion and, above all, a sense of joy.  Strand of Oaks were on the A game from their opening cords of the night. Taking a page perhaps from their former tour mates, My Morning Jacket, Strand of Oaks took to jamming out most of their numbers of the evening.  The loose feel on stage lead to terrific interplay between Showalter and guitarist Jason Anderson, who would often trade off licks and add some good ol' wailing to much of the set.

Strand of Oaks's most recent single, "Radio Kids" was given a jammy intro and full-throttle rock treatment.  Likewise, "On a Hill," the opus of Hard Love was a stand out set highlight with roaring guitars, thumping bass and blistering drums.  Moreover, Strand of Oaks reworked some older material from HEAL to give it a looser and more elated feel.  "HEAL" was more uptempo, and "JM," turned into an epic jam-fest of a tune, with the audience singing the refrain of, "we've got your sweet tunes to play." The highlight of the evening was Strand of Oaks's set closer, "Everything" off of Hard Love which featured opener Twin Limb performing alongside Strand of Oaks on stage.    The interplay between musicians lead to nothing short of a rock 'n roll party on stage, exuding the love of playing music that is evident in Showalter and his band mates.

photo courtesy of CJ Foeckler Photography

Opening for Strand of Oaks was Twin Limb, a trio from Louisville, Kentucky, who I recently saw perform alongside Jim James during his last solo tour.  Twin Limb's heavily nuanced sound served as somewhat of a musical compliment and contrast to the power rock of Strand of Oaks.  With a smorgasbord of effects pedals, atmospheric accordion riffs and staccato drums, Twin Limb delivered a strong set, drawing heavily from 2016's Haplo release.  The influence of touring with Jim James (of My Morning Jacket) was also evident in Twin Limb's set with guitarist Kevin Ratterman's psychedelic riffs complimenting the spacey, ethereal harmonies of vocalists Maryliz Bender (drums and vocals) and Lacy Gutherie (accordion, keyboards and vocals).

Thank you Tim for the sweet tunes you play :)