by LE Francis
The first time I saw The Dear Hunter was both the last time I saw the band & the first time I’d heard of them. It was at a show with The Fall of Troy in 2009 at Neumos. & I remember being in absolute awe of the way they built their vocal harmonies — the entire band was singing & they were able to create an entire atmosphere that transported you to another place & time.
& that show was not a one-off, this band is one of the most interesting & versatile acts out there. They have an unmistakable voice that follows them into every exploration of genre. & they’re able to take their uniquely atmospheric, immersive sense of storytelling with them into every expression of their medium, live or in the studio.
I listened to the three Acts off & on, but it was in 2011 when The Color Spectrum dropped that I was hooked. & it was probably the rabid way I engaged with The Color Spectrum that overshadowed Migrant when it originally came out. I never even listened to The Migrations Annex songs until this tour was announced. & when I did, oh boy.
I was in a Portland hotel room working on a novel draft when I queued up The Migrant Returned & I remember having to stop & just listen to “Like Crazy” when it came on the first time. Then I found myself distracted, skipping back to it, looking up the lyrics. It just scratched a very specific itch for me in that place & time. Before I knew it, I’d closed my draft & I was just sitting there listening to it on repeat, singing along.
I listened to the album on the bus while I was in the city, in my car when I drove home. It stayed in my writing playlists, & as the months wore on the songs all continued to grow on me, even the ones that I’d heard before but hadn’t really gotten into.
I had tickets to the Seattle show, the finale of the tour, scheduled for Nov. 17. & on the day of the show, I was sitting in traffic on I-5 talking to my brother about the setlists that had been posted from the previous shows on the tour. He dug through them & found that they’d not deviated much, if at all. Sure, the setlist was wall-to-wall bangers, but my favorites, “Like Crazy” of course & “Girl,” the only song from the OG Migrant release that had stuck with me through the years, were no gos. I whined about it a little bit as I debated the best way to get downtown, but ultimately I was just stoked I was going to the show.
So, I will typically queue up the a previous show’s setlist on setlist.fm before the band starts so I know where we are in the set & the band reliably ticked down the same set as their last show. But when they got to “Crow & Cackle” (which I could say is one of my fave Color Spectrum songs but honestly every song on The Color Spectrum is my favorite Color Spectrum song) they took a bit of a break & talked about how they were going to switch things up since they were in Seattle & close to home.
I could not have guessed what was coming next in a hundred years.
They announced they were going to play a couple of songs they don’t usually play because lead singer/composer/guitarist/pianist Casey Crescenzo’s mother & sister were able to drive in from Port Angeles to accompany them for the Seattle show. They then let us know that they’d never played the first song live at all & then launched into “Like Crazy” & followed it up with “Girl” — the two set unicorns I was lamenting over in traffic earlier that day.
Obviously, I had to take a bathroom break after because my waterproof mascara had not quite stood up to the ugly crying I did while I was singing along to my two favorite Migrant-era songs.
I saw some amazing shows last year. I managed to get tickets to sold out shows with Sleep Token, Spiritbox, & Thrice. & as if to make up for not getting to see Circa in 2020, I had the unreal opportunity to see The Sound of Animals Fighting play for the first time in Seattle last spring. Yet, this show was definitely the pinnacle of my concert-going year.
& yeah sure, maybe it was just a stupid thing but it was magic for me. I was reeling from that night for weeks after. Not only was the set an absolute work of art — the band’s performance was flawless & the audience hung on every note. But it would be hard for any show to be that special to me — the first & only time they’d played my fave, “Like Crazy” & I just happened to be lucky enough to be there. Sometimes, it really feels like the universe has got your back & obviously I needed it with my whole heart & soul resonating with that song.
On a much lighter note, I also appreciate that The Dear Hunter is one of a few bands that doesn’t play the encore charade. It’s past your bedtime & I want , play your songs.
All Get Out
When All Get Out took the stage I immediately knew I’d have to grab some clips for our EIC Stef Nunez. While the best way to describe their music is definitely indie rock, & they had some of the same musically flexible, catchy sensibility as The Dear Hunter, there was an unmistakable country twang to the guitars & vocals, especially live. & after road tripping with Stef last summer, I thought that their fusion of lush indie rock leaning toward catchy pop punk with a country feel was exactly up her alley.
They were a very engaging live band & while I didn’t know any of their songs going in, I definitely enjoyed their set. I’ll definitely be keeping an eye out for them on future tours.
Delta Sleep
I listen to a lot of nerdy-ass prog bands & Delta Sleep definitely fits in some respects. But there’s just something about their sound that didn’t stick with me. Listening back to these tracks, they’re dense, interesting, the type of thing I’d need to listen through multiple times with purpose to sink into them. & that’s not necessarily a bad thing, I’ve just not had the time to connect with the music.
They are an incredibly tight live band & hell, they’d have to be because they have a sound that anchors into some interesting rhythmic compositions. They are definitely a band that lives or dies by their bassist & drummer & I appreciate that.
I definitely wouldn’t avoid seeing these guys live again & would encourage fellow prog nerds to give them a chance.
The Showbox
I’ve written about The Showbox as a venue several times before but if this is the first of my columns you’ve read & you’re curious about the venue & neighborhood here’s my rundown:
The Showbox staff that I’ve dealt with have always been pretty chill & friendly. They managed the massive, sold out Sleep Token show like champs. As an old man in a 30-something’s body, I like sliding into the bar & grabbing a rail spot or a chair if possible, but leaning or sitting against the walls in the lower GA area is also chill with most crowds.
Driving & parking downtown is a massive pain in the ass so if you have some way to carpool or transit in, I recommend it. I never try for street parking in downtown Seattle & opt for parking lots. The one right next to the venue is small & can be a massive pain in the ass to get out of after a show.
The Showbox is directly across from Pike Place Market & if you’re from outside of the area I’d recommend not only checking out the market but walking down to the piers below.
Verses on Verses is a biweekly music column from the perspective of a poet. Inquiries can be directed to LE Francis, lefrancis@sagecigarettes.com.
LE Francis (she/her) is the managing editor of Sage Cigarettes Magazine; a columnist & staff artist for Cream Scene Carnival Magazine; co-host & staff editor of A Ghost in the Magazine & The Annegirls Podcast; & the author of THIS SPELL OF SONG & STAR available through Bottlecap Press. She is a writer, musician, & visual artist living in the rainshadow of the Washington Cascades. Find her online at nocturnical.com.
