Back in July 2009, Dawes were scheduled to play a show at SPACE Gallery on their tour supporting Deer Tick (who were also just in town), but the show ended up getting canceled so the California band never got to make their Portland, Maine debut. Nearly two years later, they finally made it back around – this time on tour with good vibes loverboy Brett Dennen – for a gig at the State Theatre this past Tuesday. Personally I would have preferred to see Dawes – who exhibit some serious Bruce-isms in performance, keys, and general heart – opening for an act with rougher edges than the all-smiles, crowd-pleasing Dennen, who is certainly a strong performer with good intentions, just not quite my taste. Maybe we’ll just have to wait for Dawes to make it back around on their own headlining tour (or with someone like Mumford & Sons or The Head And The Heart). Their new album, Nothing Is Wrong, comes out June 7, but the band has plenty of pre-order options available now. My Old Kentucky Blog has been giving them a good amount of attention, including a series of webisodes that serve as a good introduction to the guys and their music, which I suggest checking out before you head out to see them on tour. Tonight they’re over at Higher Ground in Burlington, VT. Read on for a full photo gallery from the show!
All photos by Bryan Bruchman.
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