Concert Review: Mewithoutyou, the Dear Hunter

I walked into the Granada last night toward the end of a set by a band with at least seven members, a lot of hair and – I’m pretty sure – a full horn section. I didn’t catch their name, but the hirsute frontman, who wore a Davy Crockett-ish hat, made a big point about how he was actually homeless. In a sense, isn’t every touring musician? — I thought to myself as he left the stage.

I’d timed my arrival to catch the middle band Dear Hunter and the night’s headliner Mewithoutyou. Considering the earnestness of what had come before and the intensity expected later, the mood of Dear Hunter’s set was predictably serious. Things started off sort of ambient and built into a series of epic songs that at times reminded me of Coheed and Cambria and Lovedrug.

I wasn’t always sure what the burly Dear Hunter frontman (who could totally pass as a deer hunter) was singing about, but it all seemed really important, thanks to the proggy guitars. A highlight was an old-fashioned spiritual tune that employed the vocals of all six band members.