From Raw Emotion to Rambunctious Energy: The Head and the Heart in Atlanta

Seattle’s indie-folk sextet, The Head and the Heart, brought their Aperture tour to Atlanta’s Coca-Cola Roxy on June 9th. The band began in 2009, when Josiah Johnson and Jonathan Russell met at an open mic night, later adding other members, including vocalist Charity Rose Thielen. The band is a household name within the “stomp and holler” scene, mostly widely known for their emotional track “Rivers and Roads” off their self-titled record. This tour is fresh off the release of their album by the same name, which goes back to their roots, with a more DIY feel, as the band self-produced this record.

The night opened with barefoot and bohemian songstress Anna Graves. Her voice, clean and twangy, cut through the room as she stood alone on the stage with her guitar. She charmingly admitted that she was facing her fear of playing harmonica on stage during this tour, to which the audience responded in encouraging applause.

Direct support was Futurebirds, a high-energy Athens, GA staple, sporting their Alma Mater and caps. It was clear that they drew an audience of their own as the front row sang along to their opening song, “College Try.” Their tongue-in-cheek persona couldn’t disguise their technical musical prowess.

The Head and the Heart took the stage with a shocking ferocity. Matty Gervais ran around the stage and into the crowd while playing the tambourine with unprecedented energy. He stopped to give a young fan in the crowd a special moment of a little extra attention. Their staging included string lights that resembled that of a small town dive, in the best way possible. Later in the set, a row of lights appeared behind the band. During “After the Setting Sun,” these lights resembled beams of sunlight.

The Head And The Heart (Georgia Lingerfelt)

The setlist was diverse and well-rounded between the long-time band’s many albums, and included a tour debut of “Backwards Breathing.” “Down in the Valley” off their first full-length record seems to predict their direction with this newest record with the lyric “I am on my way; back to where I started.” For the second-to-last song in the set, the band invited their VIP ticket holders and Futurebirds onto the stage, who all jumped around to “Lost in My Mind.”

Then came the moment the whole crowd was waiting for. It’s not often that a band’s best song is also its most popular. “River and Roads” deserves every ounce of praise it has received since its 2011 release. Parents gripped their college-aged kids as thousands screamed in perfect unison, “Been talking about the way things change; My family lives in a different state.” The room went dark just before the titular lyrics rang out. A spotlight fell on Charity Rose Thielen as she sang, in a voice that can only be described as pure nostalgia. The performance and passion of this one song speaks to the band’s commitment to their roots, embracing their hit, rather than growing tired over the years. The band continues their cross-country tour through October. It’s a do not miss for anyone who enjoys a good IPA and a cozy bonfire.