Dawes at Neptune Theater

The Neptune Theater filled up on a Saturday evening as fans gathered to catch Dawes perform live. The band currently touring their latest album, Oh Brother, are known for delivering electric live experiences filled with rich harmonies and storytelling lyrics. The band consists of brothers Taylor Goldsmith (guitar, vocals) and Griffin Goldsmith (drums). Dawes originally formed in 2009 from the aftermath of a previous project called Simon Dawes after co-songwriter Blake Mills left. The band name was made up from the middle names of the two founding members so when Mills departed, the remaining members rebranded as Dawes.

Dawes took the stage a little after nine and Taylor Goldsmith went into “Front Row Seat,” and “If I Wanted Someone.” We quickly got pulled into the performance and enjoyed the extended jam sessions that showed their talent. The concert turned into a sing along and people were moving around taking it all in. After a memorable “When My Time Comes,” Taylor continued with an acoustic “Time Spent in Los Angeles.” Griffin joined him for the next one as the brothers played “Enough Already,” together sharing the stage without the rest of the band.

As the concert came to an end Dawes closed out with hits, “A Little Bit of Everything,” “Someone Else’s Café,” and “All Your Favorite Bands,” that the crowd led. This was a highlight of the night for us. They returned for their encore covering Randy Newman‘s “I Love L.A.” and “Hilarity Ensues.” We can confirm that from start until finish this was one big jam session that people were thrilled to be a part of. The atmosphere, the fans, the band, the music, was something worth coming out to see.