The Head and the Heart is currently touring in support of their newly released album, Aperture. Widely regarded as a return to their signature indie folk sound, their Monday night performance featured eight tracks from the new album—songs that blended seamlessly into their broader catalog. Of those, “Fire Escape,” “Beg, Steal, Borrow” and “Time With My Sins” stood out, but not as much as Charity Rose Thielen’s “Finally Free,” a delicate song that drew the audience to a rare moment of hushed appreciation and stillness.
If eight new songs seems like a lot, keep in mind the band played 14 others—tracks that most fans likely came to hear—drawing from each of their studio albums, including five selections from their exceptional self-titled debut.
There’s something about recorded music that settles into a familiar shape—lyrics, arrangements, instrumentation—until you hear it live. Then it becomes something else entirely. The songs from their debut especially come alive, possibly honed by 14 years of performance on stages both large and small. Add concert-level volume, and even the most delicate of tracks gains new intensity.
The band brings far more energy to their live show than their recordings might suggest possible. “Lost in My Mind” is a prime example. While the harmonies remain intact, there’s a new sense of joy and urgency in how they deliver it. The same holds true for “Ghosts” and the night’s closer, “Rivers and Roads.”
Aperture, according to the band, explores finding personal agency in darkness—choosing hope over complacency and perspective over panic. Songs that move people are powerful; it’s even more meaningful when the artists themselves act with purpose. During the show, Jonathan Russell paused mid-song to call for help for someone in the crowd—living the message, not just singing about it.
This was a great show that carried the crowd with them through lighter and darker moments, largely a celebration of the vibe that the band provided. Their tour continues in the U.S. through the end of July.
Setlist:
Encore:
With three singer-songwriters, four part harmonies and seven members, there’s plenty of styles to like and nothing not to like about Athens, GA’s Futurebirds. The band loves the stage, and you’ll love them on it. And where else are you going to find a lyric even close to “I left some tacos in the fridge for you to remember me by?”
Setlist:
Minnesota’s Anna Graves opened the evening with a short set of songs including her most recent single, “Bluebird.” A folk/americana/indie artist somehow labeled as a country, give her a listen and let it speak for itself. The crowd loved what they heard, a great choice to support the headliner.
