Fruition is a full-fledged force fused together by the powerful mixture of musical prowess, passionate performance, and an authentic aesthetic that captivates any listener who passes in range of their sound waves. Their sound dabbles in various genres, from Americana to folk to soul to blues to rock and roll. Fruition’s balance between their precise, yet raw string playing, as well as soft and soulful harmonies, is without equal, only created when this quintet brings their singular sound to fruition.
With musicians from around the country, Fruition was bred in Portland, OR, and gained notoriety from busking on the streets of the rainy rose city. The five-piece has seen an immense amount of progress over the years, with extensive tours, releases, and recognition on a national level. The Portland jamgrass rockers released their latest EP, Fire, last August, and played the iconic Red Rocks Amphitheatre in support of Railroad Earth.
Following a heater of a set in Houston, TX on Thursday night, Austin was buzzing with anticipation for Fruition’s February 1st performance at Antone’s Nightclub. Established by Clifford Antone in 1975, the iconic venue is dubbed Austin’s “Home of the Blues.” Known for its intimate vibes and immaculate sound, all in attendance knew they were in for a special treat Friday night treat.
Daniel Rodriguez of Elephant Revival kicked off the night, giving fans a taste of his soothing upcoming solo EP, Your Heart, The Stars, The Milky Way, due out on February 15th. Rodriguez will celebrate his forthcoming EP with a special album release party at Boulder, CO’s Fox Theatre on February 13th. For the last four songs of his set, Rodriguez was joined by Fruition’s Tyler Thompson (drums) and Jeff Leonard (bass). It was clear the crowded club was ready for the main act, and soon enough, the five members stepped onto the venue’s small but powerful stage.
Fruition opened the night with “Stuck On You” off 2018’s Watching It All Fall Apart, which was notably produced by Tucker Martine (My Morning Jacket, The Decemberists, Modest Mouse). The insatiable bass line and upbeat lyrics speaking to lost love, made it the perfect selection to get the night rolling. “Turn To Dust”, an extremely palpable tune from the same album, caused the groove to take full effect. “Lay Down Blues” gave a sweet reminder to the audience that the “night time is the right time,” as the crowd completely let go of inhibitions and danced right into fan-favorite “Just One Of Them Nights.”
Fruition seems to keep finding a way to dig deeper into their unique and intoxicating music. It is truly the perfect balance of gritty rock and quintessential love songs, featuring the most heavenly of harmonies. Of course, the band cannot deliver this sound without their incredibly talented and hard-working sound engineer, Terry “TLP” Lapointe.
Mimi Naja, the band’s do-it-all player (mandolin, vocals, electric and acoustic guitar, bongos), whisked the room away with her divine, yet sultry tunes “Beside You” and “Santa Fe”. Next up came “I’ll Never Sing Your Name Again”, a funky fresh sing-a-long that Fruition is so damn good at delivering. Labor of Love’s “The Way That I Do,” pleased locals with a delightful sit in from Austin’s own Alan Eckert (The Deer).
The passionate players graciously performed two incredible songs from their highly anticipated album, “Poison” and “Alone Together”, before serving up a swoon-worthy version of “Northern Town”. Fruition possesses a magical way of melting fan’s hearts with sweet woes of true romance and lingering loneliness from stories of a decade on the road together. Jay Cobb Anderson (guitar, vocals, harmonica) directed the show into the newer, guitar-heavy tune, “Dirty Thieves”, before Kellen Asebroek (vocals, rhythm guitar, piano) served up the sweet and melodic plea, “Eraser”.
Already feeling spoiled, the Austin audience was blown away with what came next—a supercharged version of the tour’s namesake “Fire” sandwiched inside a cover of Nina Simone’s “Sinnerman”. Yes, this happened, and it was glorious. The set turned next to Labor of Love’s “I Don’t Mind” followed by Asebroek’s tender love song, “The Meaning.”
Fruition knew that Austin needed just a little more, though, as the five members quickly returned and left an everlasting impression with the old-time favorite, “Mountain Annie.” The band ended the night with bluesy ballad “I Should Be (On Top Of The World)” followed by a well-rounded “Fallin’ On My Face,” leaving the crowd in an enamored state of fond affection.
Fruition – 2/1/-19 – Full Show Audio
[Audio: microfishie]
For a full list of Fruition’s upcoming tour dates, head to the band’s website.