Concert Review: Fleet Foxes and Blitzen Trapper @ The Hub

What a show!...to which I was a bit late: a pre-concert beer + a very long line + security frisking everyone = we missed the first half of Blitzen Trapper. But what we saw was amazing, especially their intense performance of "Fire & Fast Bullets." A quick set change brought Fleet Foxes to the stage. As expected, they wowed the audience with beautiful vocal harmonies. Atypically, the Foxes skillfuly control energy levels by entering and exiting the stage when they are/aren't playing to alternate between a lively atmosphere and an intimate one. The most incredible moment of the night was when frontman Robin Pecknold played the first song of the encore acoustic. This simultaneously created an almost-coffee-shop-like feel (despite the sold out crowd) and showed off his instrumental and vocal command to project in such a large room. On a humorous note, it would seem Fleet Foxes like to drive jokes into the ground between songs. I believe we spent about 5 minutes talking about "nog," primarily egg nog, but other varieties as well. And apparently it is/was recently/will soon be just everyone's birthday. To end the show, Fleet Foxes brought members of Blitzen Trapper on stage for a mass performance and jam session. It was quite a conclusion and full of mutual appreciation and humility.