Alt-rockers Dawes debuted two new songs during an intimate performance at Main Street Music in Philadelphia Saturday afternoon. Dawes performed a sharp seven-song set at the Philly record store as promotion for their upcoming release, All Your Favorite Bands, due out June 2nd.

The California crew had a new look with added guitarist Duane Betts, son of Allman Brothers Band’s Dickey Betts, for this tour. The second guitarist was prominent in the new tracks but also enhanced the older tunes as he complimented lead singer/guitarist Taylor Goldsmith perfectly.

The 80-person crowd had to pre-order Dawes’ new album at Main Street Music prior to the show for access. The crowd lined up over an hour early in order to get a good view in the tightly packed space. The band kicked things off with Dawes staple “If I Wanted Someone,” a song that the Dawes fanatics knew well, but there was something different this time. Not only was there a second guitarist, but due to the small space, drummer Griffin Goldsmith was unable to bring a drum set and used a drum machine instead. The drum machine changed the entire complexion of the songs and made for some interesting augmentations for fans that have seen the band play multiple times.

The band went into a new song “Right On Time” next. It’s a nuanced track that showcases the entire band. This is a song that could really be developed and expanded at a full show after some time developing on the road. With the shortened set, the band went right into the singles off the first three albums in succession: “From A Window Seat” from Stories Never End, “Time Spent In Los Angeles” from Nothing Is Wrong and fan favorite “When My Time Comes” from North Hills. The latter equipped with a crowd sing-a-long loud enough to knock some records off the walls.

After they played their hits, the band moved into “Things Happen,” the single off their upcoming album, to finish up their set. The band realized there were fans watching and listening from outside that were not able to make it in. Taylor Goldsmith grabbed his acoustic guitar and together with brother Griffin, played an unplugged version of “How Far We’ve Come” for the crowd gathered outside.  The show was a truly unique experience and showed why Dawes has built an army of dedicated fans in Philadelphia and beyond. Dawes will play another free record store show on Tuesday, April 28th at Sound Garden in Baltimore before embarking on a full summer tour across the U.S., followed by a tour with My Morning Jacket across Europe in September.

 

Written by Adam Furtado
Photographs by Kat Dey Furtado

Set List: Dawes ~ 4/25/15 ~ Main Street Music, Philadelphia, PA

If I Wanted Someone
Right On Time (new song)
From A Window Seat
Time Spent In Los Angeles
When My Time Comes
Things Happen (new song)
How Far We’ve Come