Night One of two with The Wood Brothers in San Diego

On Wednesday night, The Wood Brothers opened the west coast leg of their tour at the Belly Up Tavern in San Diego’s Solana Beach. During the first of two consecutive nights at this venue, The Wood Brothers — along with opener Griffin William Sherry — provided the audience a show of dynamic storytelling, laced with alluring, groovy, and experimental sounds.

On the first night of a two-week stint with The Wood Brothers, Griffin William Sherry took the stage in front of a fairly scattered crowd. But as he progressed through his set, the power ingrained in his voice, matched with Belly Up’s acoustics, drew more and more people closer to the stage. Sherry performed many songs from his recently released debut studio album, Hundred Mile Wilderness, as well as a cover of Zeppelin’s “Going to California” as an homage to the state. The heart and passion in Sherry’s cadenc paired well with the narrative power of his lyrics and his approachable, relatable persona won the crowd over.

Attendees were in good spirits after Sherry’s powerful set.

The venue was a space filled with obvious fans of folk, blues, and Americana, all smiling and geared up for The Wood Brothers. With an audience filled with “music lovers”, as guitarist and lead vocalist Oliver Wood noted during the set, The Wood Brothers took us all on a journey of varied stories and sounds.

The Belly Up is known for hosting both local and renowned names, and this was not the first time The Wood Brothers have played the venue, visiting many times since their first appearance on its stage in 2006. Those years of venue familiarity and experience were evident in the performance, as brothers Oliver and Chris Wood, alongside Jano Rix, executed a setlist well-suited for the intimate space and its crowd.

The setlist took many twists and turns, taking the audience right with it.

From hauntingly beautiful, stripped-down melodies sung to a sole carbon microphone to stomping along to an upbeat, percussion-heavy, blues-folk tune, the band provided a shifting mix of musical exploration that was somehow still cohesive.

Their experimental soundscape was especially noticeable on tracks from The Wood Brothers’ most recent album, Heart is the Hero, released in 2023. The album was recorded completely analog to 16-track tape and the intentionality of the album was apparent when witnessing those songs live. With Chris Wood on upright bass and harmonica and Jano Rix on so many percussion instruments (I couldn’t begin to count them), the creativity in each track was brought together by Oliver Wood’s guitar and vocals.

The evening ended with fan-favorite “Luckiest Man” from the 2006 album Ways Not to Lose, with Oliver inviting the crowd to sing the final chorus a capella. It was the perfect way to end a smooth, lively, and comfortable night in Solana Beach. Those with the opportunity to see this unique blend of Americana roots music should absolutely jump at the chance. The Wood Brothers are likely to provide music lovers with an unforgettable session of joyful noise and soothing, soulful sounds.

Photography by Elizabeth O’Guin

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