It’s crazy to me how a concert can instantly take you back to a different time in your life that you had completely forgotten about.
I have to be honest, I was never a huge Copeland fan. They were too calm for me when they came into my life. I was a teenager and angry at the world. I didn’t want to hear about love and relationships. I wanted to hear screaming. That being said, I saw Copeland a handful of times at The House of Bricks in Des Moines because, as I always say, any show is better than no show.
Last night, they fit. They got the attention from me that they deserved all along. So maybe it’s true, I’ve calmed down a little bit with age. That’s not saying I don’t love an epic mosh pit, but I also am starting to appreciate those nights where it’s just you, a friend, a couple of beers and some music full of talent and feelings.
I never thought I would see Copeland again. They toured a lot when I was in high school but did a farewell tour in 2008. Unfortunately, they weren’t a band I kept listening to. Apparently, to my surprise, they released a new album last year and have been touring pretty consistently since then. Nothing seemed to have changed with the band. Although I didn’t listen to them on repeat growing up, there were certain songs they played last night that took me right back to those nights spent at House of Bricks.
Copeland was joined onstage by a string trio of two cellos and a violin. Add the two keyboards, drummer, guitarist, and bassist and you had a full stage. I know it’s been years since the last time I saw these guys but they never had a string section before. This really added to the ambiance of the music. It made it sound deeper but, unlike using samples or tracks, it sounded real. The amount of sound and emotion that came off the stage was unreal. You could tell that singer, Aaron Marsh, meant every word that he sang. Even if it was a song he wrote almost ten years ago, he still sang it with such conviction.
The room was dead quiet in between songs (other than a couple of song title shout outs and random heckling done in good fun). Everybody just wanted to hear those songs that they listened to through breakups and heartache back in high school. They wanted to be transported back there when times were simpler. There was really no point for Aaron Marsh to have a microphone, the crowd seemed to know every word to every song whether it was a new or old one.
Both of the openers were great. We Are The City have a unique sound that seemed to catch the crowd off guard but kept them captivated. Eisley sounded great but I put these guys in the same category as Copeland. That’s to say that I had seen them a bunch growing up but never really got attached. That being said, both of those openers, and Copeland, deserve some attention and judging by the size of the crowd last night, they are getting it.
Last night was a good night. I was with a good friend with a couple drinks in me and some good music. Being able to do this night after night is what I call “living the life”!
Line Up:
Venue- Varsity Theater
Sausage Fest Meter- Even Split
Broken Bones- None
Average Age- 25-30
Man Buns- 4
Photo Credit- Stephan
Show on Deck- Molly Maher/ The Bottle Rockets at The Turf Club
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