All about The Haunt in Nashville

I’ll be upfront, I had a pretty good idea of what I was walking into Thursday night. I’d seen The Haunt once before — opening for The Hu — and, even in that supporting slot, they made an impression. But there’s a difference between watching a band open a show and watching a band headline, and The Haunt made sure you felt that difference this night in Nashville. They’ve put away the nervous energy I felt during the Hu show roughly two years ago and, now, seemed completely dialed in.

The South Florida-based band rolled through Basement East on their Hollow Crown Tour and, honestly?

It was just a really great rock show. Sometimes, that’s all you need to say.

Their energy was high, their playing was tight, and the room was locked in for the whole thing. I couldn’t currently tell you the name of one of their songs, but this performance has done one thing: it motivated me to deep dive into their catalog so the next time they come through, I will be singing back their lyrics. 

What struck me most was how much more in command they were of the stage, compared to when I saw them with The Hu. That opening slot was good; this was incredible. This was a band that knows exactly who they are and has zero interest in apologizing for it.

Midway through the set they dropped something I wasn’t expecting — a brand new, unreleased song that nobody in that room had heard before. I couldn’t tell you the name of it although they said it, because it was so loud. I couldn’t make out what it was called. But it was good. Like, genuinely good. The kind of new material that makes you excited about where a band is heading, rather than anxious about whether they can follow up what they’ve already done.

If the Hollow Crown Tour is making its way through your city, do yourself a favor and go. The Haunt is the kind of rock band that reminds you why you fell in love with live music in the first place. I’ll be first in line the next time they come back through Nashville.

Photography by Derek Jones

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