It was a few songs into Fruit Bats set at Webster Hall on April 20th that their two audiences revealed themselves. There were those who bopped hard to every song. And then there were those who bopped a little harder to the new songs, as when they played Rushin’ River Valley from their stunning new album, A River Running To Your Heart. I’m firmly in the latter group, having transited to the band through Eric D. Johnson’s incantatory contributions to Bonny Light Horseman’s debut album in 2020. Intriguingly, age was not a dividing line as there were many people younger than me who knew every word to every song - impressive for a catalog stretching back 20 years. Johnson himself acknowledged his wealth of material when he thanked the audience after the second number by promising to “play 400 songs.”
But even a carpetbagger like me felt completely welcomed by Johnson’s affable manner and crack band, which evened out the years between songs, finding a middle ground between the more layered productions on the recent albums and sometimes more stripped down sound of the earlier ones. Keyboard player Frank LoCrasto was a big help in this, whether adding (Keith) Emersonian synth to push Absolute Loser into the stratosphere or rounding out the sound elsewhere with some soulful organ playing. Guitarist Josh Mease handled everything with a casual mastery while bassist David Dawda held down the low end in melodic fashion.
One expectation of mine evaporated when I noted no acoustic guitar onstage. I had pictured Johnson strumming along to most songs. Instead, he proved to be a rock-solid rhythm guitarist on a gold Fender Strat, setting the pace for each song and occasionally driving the band hard as he swung his lustrous hair in an unironic expression of joy. And speaking of rock-solid, drummer Josh Adams was the concrete foundation of the ensemble, providing an unwavering yet deeply pocketed groove for every song. Never have I seen someone concentrate so hard on their hi-hat as Adams, which is what it can sometimes take to make the magic happen.
The most magical part of the night, however, was in Johnson’s ability to connect with the audience - both sides of it - and bring us all together as one, united by his songs, which combine a distinctive melodic sensibility with poetic lyrics and an ability to get to the heart of the matter with disarming regularity. For someone who’s been at it for over two decades, Johnson shows no sign of being jaded either, even seeming surprised at his rapturous reception. “This is our biggest show in New York,” he announced, beaming at the crowd before the encore, “so we’re going to play three more songs - and we’ll get to THAT one, I promise.” He was referring to Humbug Mountain Song, one of his most popular songs (62 million streams on Spotify), which was given a pile-driving run through to end the night, leading to more rapture. But I was even happier to hear Waking Up In Los Angeles, a song from his latest album, which kicked off the encore and is rapidly becoming one of my favorite songs of the year.
The Pet Parade, their last album from 2021, was my #1 album of that year so this was a long-awaited opportunity to see them live and it was all I could have hoped for. Fruit Bats has tour dates across North America through the end of May. Whether you’re an old fan or a new convert, don’t miss them - there’s no question in my mind that Eric D. Johnson is making the best music of his life right now, both on record and onstage.
H.C. McEntire, opened the show and warmed up the crowd nicely with her slow-burn brand of Americana and a band that played with an incandescent subtlety. Be sure to check out her fine album, Every Acre, which came out earlier this year.
From the archives:
Live Log 2023: Elana Low Welcomes The Equinox
Celebrating 2021: New Year, New Music
"But even a carpetbagger like me felt completely welcomed..."
I love this line. That's exactly how I felt last week watching Illiterate Light & Mo Lowda & the Humble. I'm pretty sure I was the only one not singing along to every word, but somehow also didn't feel out of place?