Southern-tinged indie rock was on display at its best as Band of Horses rocked a sell-out crowd in Orlando. The group opened the set with frontman Ben Bridwell on steel guitar as they played the slow, twangy tracks “Monsters” and “The First Song.” Bridwell’s high voice ranged from soft and soothing to a throaty scream as the band kicked in. Bridwell then climbed out from behind the steel pedal and strapped on a guitar for the band’s more rocking selections, including a rousing cover of Creedence Clearwater Revival’s “Effigy.”
The energy onstage was infectious as the set list had a good mix of songs new and old, fast and slow, loud and quiet. Joined onstage by opening act Tyler Ramsey on guitar, the band tore through up-tempo numbers like “Ode to LRC” and “Islands on the Coast.” Keyboardist Ryan Monroe harmonized beautifully with Bridwell on the crooner “Marry Song.” For “Our Swords,” Bridwell played the main riff on bass, dueling bassist Bill Reynolds. Bridwell banged away on the tambourine on the country stomp of “The General Specific.”
The band’s vast range was best realized in their more grandiose songs, such as “The Great Salt Lake” and “The Funeral.” In the latter, dramatic shifts from the melodic to raw grunge power punctuated the emotional lyrics. The band thrashed through the chorus, ending with a pounding crescendo that epitomized everything that is great about rock & roll music. Whether playing banjos and steel guitars or loud electric guitars, Band of Horses proved that the only type of song they can’t play is a bad one.
