I'm a fan (and you should be too) because...Back in May of 2007, at the Emotionalism release party at Manifest Discs in Charlotte, The Avett Brothers changed my life. I had never even heard the name "Avett" before in my life (which is difficult to fathom, being that I lived in Charlotte from Novmeber 2002-May 2008) until my good friend (and roommate at the time) Jenny Ackerman, who also at that time was working at Manifest, told me I really should come check these guys out, "they're really amazing, and a lot of fun." Before taking her advice and coming to that magical show that changed it all, I was mostly a 90's grunge/classic rock guy who very rarely, if at all, stepped outside of that comfort zone. And I'll admit, when I saw the guys take the stage, Scott brandishing a banjo, I had my doubts. Alas, as soon I heard Scott, and then Seth singing the opening to "Shame" I knew right away these guys were in a league of their own that transcended above and beyond anything I'd ever seen or heard. Then the music kicked in: the hard thumping bass from Bobby Crawford's upright bass, the intricately wonderful, acoustic guitar picking displayed by Seth, and how Scott made that banjo sound more like a "toy Stratocastor," as he's so well described it. Then came the harmony, of not only their very loud, yet somehow still warm and comforting voices, but their instruments...it was absolute and pure perfection.

Now almost 4 years and 12 live shows later, in 9 different cities across the country, they only seem to get better and better. The shows have started to feel more like a family reunion than a concert, anytime I find myself within a feasible distance of a show, you're sure to find me there, and most likely at the front, cause there's no better place to be than the front row of an Avett Brothers show...