Words by Kaitlyn Bush Photos by Dino Perrucci There’s something timeless about Dawes. Their music sounds like it’s always been there, and hopefully for us, it will always be around. Dawes last played The Cap back in 2012, and they made a very welcome return on July 13th to a packed and enthusiastic crowd. Dawes eased into their set with “I Can’t Think About it Now,” a track from their latest album “All Your Favorite Bands.” This included Taylor Goldsmith’s first guitar solo of the night. There’s something clean and easygoing about the way Goldsmith plays guitar. His solos are consistently smooth, solid, and purposeful. They are unhurried and untouched by flashiness. Of course, Duane Betts, who has been a touring member of Dawes for about a year now, is a great guitarist in his own right. As the son of Dickey Betts, this is certainly no surprise. They moved right into “If I Wanted Someone” from their second album “Nothing is Wrong,” which was played almost aggressively in comparison to the record. “Things Happen” came next, during which Goldsmith proclaimed that “It’s nice to be back at The Capitol Theatre,” a statement that everyone clearly agreed with. A slightly altered version of “Bear Witness” came next, with the main guitar line coming in on the upbeats rather than the downbeats as it’s played on the album. It’s a notable change in the song, but it still doesn’t feel too different. This is something that Dawes does well- they alter their songs just enough to keep them fresh and varied while always maintaining the essence of the original version. “Fire Away” was a mid-set highlight. It included a mini-jam in the middle, an audience sing-along directed by Goldsmith, who split the crowd in half and assigned harmonies, and finally another guitar solo. The last third of the set saw Wylie Gelber (bass) and Duane Betts leave the stage for two acoustic songs. This was a nice nod back to Dawes’ earlier days where their sound was a bit softer and acoustic guitars were more prevalent than electric ones. “How Far We’ve Come” is an energetic, beat driven track that Griffin Goldsmith (drums) sings lead on. The decision to play it acoustically was an interesting one. It could have easily fallen flat. Luckily, their intensity and solid 3 part harmonies made it work very well. Towards the end of the show, Taylor Goldsmith took a second to thank the crowd and said that “This venue is obviously so special. The fact that we can do this twice within several years means truly so much to us.” It’s always nice to see a band really appreciate the history and significance of The Cap. “When My Time Comes” was a crowd favorite and set highlight, as it always is, and led directly into “Most People,” during which Taylor Goldsmith explained that “We skip that whole bit where we go off stage and maybe you would clap, though we all know you probably would, and we decided we would just stay out here and play more music.” Of course encores are fun, but it’s always refreshing to see a band that would rather just continue to play. Dawes wrapped up with “All Your Favorite Bands.” The song is quite nostalgic and sweet, and certainly no one can argue with the main lyric, “May all your favorite bands stay together.” Taylor assured the crowd that “We’ll see you guys next time, which I promise will be sooner than later.” And after such a successful return to The Cap, we all certainly hope this is true.

The Capitol Theatre Photo Gallery

Photos by Dino Perrucci [gallery columns="5" link="file" ids="|" orderby="rand"]