Whoa. Thank God these guys decided to put their individual egos and projects on hold to get together and make this music. Monsters Of Folk is literally an All Star Team of American Singer/Songwriters, with each member contributing a signature sound and style. Every song was better than the last, and each performance soulful, honest and engaging. Mike Mogis of Bright Eyes is a masterful musician and played a wide variety of instruments with ease. From the electric guitar to the mandolin to the slide guitar, he was a flawless powerhouse. His bandmate Conor Oberst was equally impressive, but moreso due to his passionate and emotional vocals which pumped through the Paramount for almost three hours. M Ward showed off his AMAZING guitar technique, playing several solo songs to a completely silent house. Whether strumming, playing lead or hopping on the piano, M Ward is one of the finer musicians playing today. Jim James from My Morning Jacket brought the house down with that unique, borderline-nerdy voice of his. It shone through with absolute purity and everybody loved him.
The guys took turns singing lead, playing lead and switched up their instruments constantly. They played songs from their individual catalogs as well as tunes from their collective work on their self-titled album.
Though better LIVE, here are some great songs by the boys:
This was the band's third stop on their first ever tour, so I feel very fortunate to have seen such an incredible three-hour set. Plus, anything at The Paramount is going to be that much better. I hope they keep working together, for the sake of American music.
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