The Avett Brothers – Folk Rock From Concord, North Carolina

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Technically, they are not from Winston-Salem, but the Carolina boys comprising the rootsy, folk rock band The Avett Brothers grew up in nearby Concord, North Carolina, and are beloved across our state and nation. We, behind the scenes here at MyWinston-Salem.com, are fans ourselves and couldn’t resist sharing the love. And if you’ve seen the Avetts before, please leave comments below with your stories! We’d love to hear them.

The Avett Brothers performing at a concert view from side stage from the crowd.
The Avett Brothers performing at a concert. View from the side stage from the crowd.
Photo by Michelle Schenker for MyWinston-Salem.com, © Cover Story Media 2023

History Of The Avett Brothers

Brothers Scott and Seth Avett have played music together since they were children, from church fundraisers to their teen rock band, Nemo. The Avett Brothers touring band is made up of Scott Avett, on banjo, piano, kick drum and vocals, his brother, Seth, on guitar, piano and vocals; Joe Kwon on cello, Bob Crawford on stand-up bass (and sometimes electric bass), Bonnie Avett-Rini on piano, Mike Marsh on drums and Tania Elizabeth on the fiddle.

Songwriting Is Core to the Avett’s Success

The Avett’s are amazing songwriters, combining their eloquent somber, raw lyrics of love, loss and confession with a wide variety of folk, bluegrass, rock, and even ragtime and punk melodies to produce a unique sound to which young and old relate.

From “Ten Thousand Words”:

“Ain’t it like most people? I’m no different
We love to talk on things we don’t know about

And everyone around me shakes their head in disbelief
And says I’m too caught up
They say young is good and old is fine
And truth is cool but all that matters
Is that you have your good times
But their good times come with prices
And I can’t believe it when I hear the jokes they make
At anyone’s expense except their own
Would they laugh if they knew who paid?”

The Avett Brothers Are Coming To Charlotte May 3-5

The Avett Brothers will perform at the inaugural Lovin’ Life Music Festival in Charlotte, NC, May 3-5, 2024. The festival will take place across multiple stages in Charlotte’s First Ward. Post Malone, Stevie Nicks, and Noah Kahan will headline the event.
Hours for each performer have not been announced.

Tickets are still available. Children under the age of 11 enter free.

High Energy Performances

The Avett Brothers are known for their frenetic shows and lots of swinging hair. Members of our staff saw the New Year’s Eve 2012 performance at the Greensboro Coliseum. The Avett Brothers were clad in all-white suits, reminiscent of the Bee Gees, Saturday Night Live-style. Seth danced and jumped for most of the show and Joe Kwon was particularly spry.

Personal Experience At An Avett Brothers Concert

How one (Joe Kwon) plays the cello so skillfully, while running and head-banging is a mystery.

Kristi Marion – Avett Brothers Fan & MyWinston-Salem.com Writer

The Avetts’ Greensboro Concert

Swinging from frenzied acoustic-metal arrangements, punctuated by more mellow melodies, the band kept the audience jumping and swaying as well. Fans were thrilled by the more intimate experience of the cover of “Operator”, by Scott and Bob Crawford on a surprise second stage deeper in the arena.

Humble Thank You’s

A couple of times during the New Year’s show, Seth said to the audience, “Thanks for having us at your party,” a humble statement considering the thousands of screaming fans. As midnight neared, the band wound down and Kwon played Auld Lange Syne on the cello before the audience was showered by a blizzard of white confetti and balloons. Their finale song was “I and Love and You.”

Grammy Nominations

In 2012 The Avett Brothers, received a Grammy nomination for their album release, The Carpenter, which also made it to the Top 10. The album True Sadness debuted at number 3 in the Billboard Top 200 in 2016 and was nominated for two awards at the 59th Annual Grammy Awards. Also during this period the band was inducted into the North Carolina Music Hall of Fame.

From “Down With The Shine”

“It’s in with the new, and out with the old
out goes the warmth, and in comes the cold
it’s the most predictable story told
in with the young, out with the old

down with the shine, the perfect shine
it poisons the well and ruins my mind
i get took for a ride, every time
down with the glistening shine”

List Of Avett Brothers Albums

  • Country Was (2002)
  • Live at the Double Door Inn (2002)
  • A Carolina Jubilee (2003)
  • Mignonette (2004)
  • Live, Vol. 2 (2005)
  • Four Thieves Gone: The Robbinsville Sessions (2006)
  • Emotionalism (2007)
  • I and Love and You (2009)
  • Live, Vol. 3 (2010)
  • The Carpenter (2012)
  • Magpie and The Dandelion (2013)
  • True Sadness (2016)
  • Closer Than Together (2019)
  • The Avett Brothers (2024)

EP’s

  • The Avett Bros. (2000)
  • Swept Away (2004)
  • The Gleam (2006)
  • The Second Gleam (2008)
  • The Third Gleam (2020)

Will The Avett Brothers Play At Merlefest This Year?

While the Avett Brothers 2024 Tour are not bringing them to North Carolina this year, you can still hear some great music at MerleFest, April 25-28, 2024.

Have you seen The Avett Brothers in concert? Let us know in comments.

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