Akron/Family @ Bowery Ballroom

The evening began with the band leading the audience through a singalong of Love and Space. And as the band took up their instruments, the audience continued the song until they broke straight into their first of many huge jams that build with the much-coveted tension-and-release style.

It’s amazing how tight these guys have gotten at building hard rock grooves, and then in a matter of moments, deconstructing them into abstract soundscapes. These sound collages create a whole new level of jamming and often see the band segue into a new jam. Sounds more hippie than hipster, but it’s all rock to me.

Such songs as Blessing Force and Raise the Sparks have become huge songs in the live setting. Both songs can, at times, be stretched to the limits. The night ended with Ed is a Portal, at which time the band invited members of the crowd onto the stage to play an array of instruments. This was a brilliant moment in an already amazing concert because it illustrated Akron/Family’s greatest asset: their ability to connect with their audience.

Everyone in that room on Tuesday felt as if they were part of the show. So with members of the band in the crowd and members of the crowd on the stage, the band led the everyone through one more singalong. Then we all left tired and drained — taming the mythical beast of rock ain’t easy work.

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