I've got to be pretty motivated to drive out to Saxapahaw to see a show, but considering that before this gig was announced I was planning on going to Asheville to see War on Drugs play, this one was an easy decision. I'm not sure if it's the Haw River Ballroom or the crowd these guys draw, but there were signs everywhere that stated "absolutely no chairs allowed" which was cracking me up. It was the last night of their massive tour that started at some point before the Hopscotch appearance in early September, and I'm sure everyone was counting down the minutes until they could get home and sleep in their own beds. But before that, they put on a hell of a performance. It was similar to the Hopscotch outing, but...looser maybe? Which would make sense given how many times they've played these songs in the last couple of months. There was one addition to their set list, a cover of Bob Dylan's "Tangled Up in Blue," done on the obvious WoD fashion. And top it all off, like all Haw shows, it ended at a reasonable middle-aged hour.
The opener was Peter Matthew Bauer, best known as the frontman of the Walkmen. Unfortunately he didn't play any of those songs, but his solo songs were still pretty damn rad. With his very unique voice, everything sorta sounded like Walkmen songs I'd never heard before anyways. There was a little Replacements and Springsteen vibe in there too, but that probably could have also been said about the Walkmen. Anyways, I need to buy his solo record. Maybe if I write it down it will remind me.