Fresh off the release of their new album, Wild As The Night, Portland, OR-based folk-rock quintet Fruition made their way through Dallas, Texas, on Thursday for a performance at Deep Ellum Art Company.
Handmade Moments handled opening duties for the evening. More than just a duo, the New Orleans-native folk/soul/hip-hop act is one of the hardest-working bands in rock ‘n roll. Composed of Anna Moss and Joel Ludford, the multi-instrumentalist duo set the stage for the night with their endearing yet comical musical banter. They played their way through topics such as toxoplasmosis (Anna’s worst nightmare), Christopher Columbus, and the importance of putting down your damn phone.
Next up was Fruition, a musical package full of tantalizing harmonies, accomplished melodies, and swoon-worthy lyrics on love and loss in life. The adept group takes their listeners on a multi-sensory journey through every possible emotion in the earthly realm, and beyond.
The group—made up of Jay Cobb Anderson (guitar, harmonica), Kellen Asebroek (guitar, piano), Mimi Naja (mandolin, guitar), Jeff Leonard (bass), and Tyler Thompson (drums, banjo)—opened the night with fun-loving numbers from 2018’s Watching It All Fall Apart, including “Stuck On You”, “Turn to Dust”, and “Let’s Take It Too Far”.
The chemistry between the band’s members fused with their captivating stage energy evokes feelings akin to a kid in a candy shop, especially when they play fan-favorite such as “The Meaning”, “Labor of Love”, and “Northern Town”.
“Raining in the City”, a new collaboration between Asebroek and Anderson included on Wild as the Night, featured impressive keyboard chops by Asebroek and 12-string guitar abilities by Naja over the course of the soulful come-on. Naja delivered a heartbreakingly beautiful version of “Sante Fe”, followed by the sweetest Anderson song, “Lonesome Prayer,” which conveyed the wishful sentiment, “may the person you’ve been hiding finally come from out of cover.”
The band rounded out the set with brand-new songs “Forget About You”, “Sweet Hereafter”, the new album’s title track, “Wild As The Night”. The new jams expand the band’s musical territory to further depths of warm, melodic grooves that give the open-eared listener musical butterflies of sorts.
Asebroek and bandmates brought the feels with two tender numbers, “Eraser” and “Above the Line”, bringing on what could only be described as a nostalgic oozing of warm honey through the soundscapes of emotion. Fruition finally capped the night off with one of their most beloved songs, “Mountain Annie”.
Scroll down to check out some photos of the performance courtesy of photographer Andrew Sherman (@drewliophoto). You can also listen to a full audio recording of the performance below:
Fruition – Dallas, TX – 11/14/19 – Full Audio
[Audio: microfishie]
Next up for Fruition is a Saturday, November 16th performance at Houston, TX’s Last Concert Cafe, also featuring Handmade Moments. For a full list of upcoming Fruition tour dates, head here.
