We shared our concert recap of the visit by Australian soul-rockers The Teskey Brothers to the Filene Center at Wolf Trap recently – but made no mention that another Australian band, The Paper Kites, were also in town to handle the opening act duties. Two Commonwealth Connections artists for the price of one – and this was also a band that we were eager to catch in concert.
No strangers to the North American continent, The Paper Kites have previously toured here in support of Canadian indie-rock band City and Colour, and their music has been featured in prime-time spots on US television shows, including “Grey’s Anatomy” – oh, and no need to remind folks that they also performed at the Mariposa Music Festival in Ontario just a couple of months ago. The band clearly had a strong following here in VA, with many arriving early to catch their set, and offering a very enthusiastic response during the opening banjo licks of their popular breakthrough tune “Bloom.”
Led by Sam Bentley (vocals/guitar) and Christina Lacy (keyboards/vocals), and joined by bandmates David Powys (guitar/banjo/vocals), Sam Rasmussen (bass/vocals) and Josh Bentley (drums), Sam would endear himself to the crowd when sharing that he felt that the Filene Center “is one of the most beautiful venues I’ve ever seen, it’s amazing.” With the standard 35-minute opening slot to work with, the band shared a selection of hits from their fifteen years plus of writing and recording music, adding in a pair of recently released singles from their upcoming album early next year – one titled “Every Town,” which would be officially released just two days later.
Following a stunning six-minute rendition of “Burn the Night Away,” Sam and Christina would share vocal duties during “Nothing More Than That,” before pausing to address the audience prior to “Bloom.” “This is a love song, a very old song that we wrote a long time ago that has become a very precious song to some people,” Sam shared. “Some people get married to it, and some people have been divorced, and it’s a terrible song with a painful memory. Whatever it is to you, I hope you enjoy it this evening.”
Grateful for the positive audience feedback throughout their set, Sam would offer one more address. “It’s been a true pleasure to play for you all this evening, thanks so much for having us,” he offered. “We’d love to come back and see you again soon.” And as the crowd applauded in response, The Paper Kites closed the evening with another popular tune, “Darkness at my Door.” A double-bill of Melbourne-based artists graced the Wolf Trap stage on a Wednesday evening – and there was no place we would have rather been.
Set List:
- Green Valleys
- Every Town
- Black & Thunder
- When The Lavender Blooms
- Burn The Night Away
- Nothing More Than That
- Bloom
- Darkness At My Door
The British guy that crossed the ocean and crash landed in central Pennsylvania (to quote Greg Keelor, “And I wonder what am I doing here?”). As the youngest of four siblings, exposure to music from a very early age nurtured my passion and appreciation for many musical genres. Continuing to discover some amazingly diverse and talented musicians based in Canada, I gravitate to live music experiences and remain devoted to spreading the word about such a vibrant music scene.
