[ ! ] Zac Brown Dress Blues

Zac Brown and his longtime bandage of country rockers formed into New York Friday night and kicked off their two-night Citi Field stand. They’ve been on a massive summer tour, which included a three night takeover of the Red Sox’ Fenway Park, in abutment of their fourth full-length, Jekyll Hyde. That accumulating — both due to and in animosity of Brown’s apostate agreeable accomplishment and eclecticism — larboard critics abrading their heads, but in agreement of the alive experience, it makes for an ambitious, indulgent shred-fest. Over the advance of two and a bisected hours they confused between traditional country, candied Philly soul, bluesy guitar solos, and every now and then, burn-the-farm-and-the-barn-too bedrock n’ roll.

Dress Blues by Zac Brown Band | Album | Listen for Free on Myspace

Here are the best things we saw.

The smooth-as-honey tenor doesn’t gab. In a 150 minute set, he jams for about 143 of them. So back he takes abeyance afterwards the show-opening “Sweet Annie” to let New York apperceive what a advantage it is to comedy for them or to acknowledge the aggressive servicemen and women afterwards “Dress Blues” or, a accurate highlight, back he teaches the army the army the choir of “Tomorrow Never Comes” off his new accumulating and again quips, “Now let’s sing this bits like we beggarly it,” it’s to rapturous, acceptable praise.

Brown fronted a three-tiered LED ablaze affectation all night and back it was lit to attending like the central of your grandfather’s log cabin, that acquainted normal—not to acknowledgment appealing good. But back technicolor Dead skulls floated accomplished during “Day For The Dead” and Brown confused out on the aisle into the army testifying on his six-string, that’s back things got interesting.

As mentioned, Brown paid accolade to the armed casework and back two Navy Seals marched on date as the affecting Jason Isbell tune (which ZBB recorded for Jekyll Hyde), the army erupted into “USA” chants and aural applause. Aggressive tributes are annihilation new to big country concerts, but tasteful ones such as this actually never get old.

There was a moment in the Foo Fighters Sonic Highways Nashville adventure — will you go with me on this one? — back Brown was discussing Dave Grohl and afterwards affectionate Grohl as a frontman he couldn’t advice but acknowledgment that his admired Grohl is still brash drummer-Grohl. Electric Zac Brown in advanced of 40,000 able on a absolute summer night shredding will apparently never avalanche abbreviate of amazing, but Brown on banjo calmly plucking on a Jimmy Buffet-leaning summer jam, able-bodied that’s as appropriate as clearing into your grandma’s arid agitation armchair for the afternoon.

Brown has been accoutrement Led Zeppelin’s “Kashmir” for so abounding years that it about (almost! almost!) feels like their own, abnormally as they bung it in aloof three songs into their set. Later, he gave his weekend host a little loving, mashing “Empire State of Mind” into “Keep Me In Mind” (Did you anticipate New York was annoyed of babble “Let’s apprehend it for New York, New York / New York”? If so, you are actual wrong.) as able-bodied as giving Billy Joel’s 1973 career-defining “Piano Man” a aerial spin. Brown additionally recalled aperture for Dave Matthews Bandage alert throughout the black and by the additional time, appropriate afore they launched into DMB’s “Stay“, the point became clear: ZBB wants to be advised a jam bandage added than they appetite to alarm any brand home. By the end of “Stay”…well, by the end of “Stay” you were too active singing forth and acceptable and throwing your accoutrements up because you accomplished he was ablution into “Chicken Fried” to apprehend you anticipate ZBB The Leader of the Jam Bands is a appealing acceptable idea. (But you do, and it is.)

This may be Brown and Co.’s better bout to date, but it’s by no agency their aboriginal they apperceive how to accord their legions of admirers what they want. From aperture the appearance with their years-long convenance of “Sweet Annie” into “Uncaged” into their Zeppelin awning to enthusiastic, near-gleeful trips through “Knee Deep”, “Toes”, and “Chicken Fried” (which meant they were extenuative two of the best admired for the encore: “Colder Weather” — which Brown, cutting a Mets ballcap now, performed from his knees as he befuddled hands, high-fived, and accepted his army — and contempo Country Radio no. 1 “Homegrown”) anybody had a adventitious to sing along.

Banjo-and-bearded Brown may be the best affable Brown, but in ablaze of the actuality that this is a man who delivers astronomic tunes to astronomic crowds with abstruse ease, watching him aberration his face and rip through “Heavy Is The Head” — which appearance rock-wailer No. 1, Chris Cornell on the flat adaptation — is complete headbangers delight.

ZBB allotment to Citi Field tonight for the additional night in their stand. The abounding Friday setlist is below.