Oliver Wood couldn’t quite put his finger on which day it was—or, at least, that was the conceit. As he, his brother Chris Wood, and multi-instrumentalist Jano Rix progressed through their set as The Wood Brothers at the Regent Theater in downtown Los Angeles, Oliver kept mixing up when, exactly, they were. At one point, he even pooled the audience, only to be stunned that it was already Thursday.
“What happened [to the week]?” Oliver wondered aloud.
Time has a way of losing its relevance on tour. The Wood Brothers had only just begun their latest romp across the map the night before in Phoenix, but if losing track of the days of the week is a consequence of keeping things moving, this band has sent and will continue to send many-a-crowd into a different musical dimension.
The Wood Brothers are back on the road to support Kingdom in My Mind, their seventh and latest studio album of original material since Oliver and Chris came together with Jano in 2004. The energy and heart required to pump out that much recorded music (along with four live albums and an album of covers) was plenty evident during their live performance at the Regent. So, too, was the group’s unique ability to combine the conventions of old-school folk music with today’s trend toward the uptempo to create something that’s at once fresh and familiar.
After a beautiful opening set from Birds of Chicago; Oliver, Chris, and Jano spent nearly two hours pulling tracks from across their catalogue, much to the delight of the nearly 700 fans who came out to support. They drew a solid (but hardly overwhelming) swath of songs from their 2020 release, including “Alabaster” off the top and sprinklings of “Little Bit Sweet” and “Little Bit Broken” through the first half of the set.
Along the way, the Wood Brothers touched on a wide smattering of feelings and emotions that kept folks swinging from swaying to swooning and everything in between. There was the gritty blues of “Shoofly Pie”, which seemed to get the whole room shaking and grooving—including Chris, whose hips and feet wouldn’t quit (and even led him to set down his standup bass at times). There wasn’t quite as much shucking and jiving during “Glad”, though even that song gave people reason to bounce around a bit.
There were plenty of somber notes on the other end, too. The Wood Brothers shared their “American Heartache”, implored the audience to turn their attention elsewhere on “Don’t Think About My Death”, sang wistfully of the past on “When I Was Young”, and made known their weakness for the sauce on “Loaded.”
At one point, the group made a relatively small room feel even more intimate by eschewing the usual accoutrements for an old-fashioned single mic. Oliver asked the audience to keep quiet, then huddled around that one mic with Chris and Jano to honor the Woods’ mother, who passed away from ALS 13 years go, with “Lovin’ Arms” and hint at how they got through that tragic time with “I Got Loaded.”
Even some of the Wood Brothers’ most fun numbers came with deep, dark underbellies. As upbeat a tone as “Happiness Jones” tends to strike, the song itself speaks to how, in truth, the greatest personal growth comes from pain and that most folks “never learned anything being happy.” That sort of raw honesty is part of the Wood Brothers’ appeal. There’s a degree of sincerity in their music that makes it resilient and relatable, without tumbling entirely into despair.
Oliver, for his part, admitted that he expected the crowd in L.A. to be “jaded,” but was pleasantly surprised to be met with positivity and support. Likewise, The Wood Brothers hinted at their charitable side by dedicating the bass-driven “One More Day” to Thistle Farms, a, organization that sells products made by women who have survived trafficking, prostitution and addiction. As it happens, $1 from each ticket sold to the show went to support Thistle Farms.
Thus, the Wood Brothers revealed their hearts with their deeds and their words in downtown Los Angeles. They seemed genuinely appreciate of the crowd’s crooning to the chorus of “Luckiest Man” to open the encore, and left everyone on a high note with “Snake Eyes” thereafter.
Perhaps Oliver, Chris, and Jano will straighten out their sense of days and times as their tour proceeds up the West Coast and, eventually, to points across the Midwest and South. Wherever they go, and whatever day they think it is, the Wood Brothers should have little trouble wooing music lovers into their sonic embrace with a brand of soul-infused folk that rings true through its spirit.
The Wood Brothers are off to the Arkley Center for the Performing Arts in Arcata, CA on Sunday, after which they head north for a run of shows in Oregon. For tickets and a full list of dates, head to their website.
Scroll down for a gallery of photos courtesy of photographer Brandon Weil.
