Brandi Carlile Door County Concert Review - Fish Creek

Last night I attended the Brandi Carlile show at the wonderful Door County Auditorium in Fish Creek. To sum it up, it was a fantastic night of surprises.

The first surprise was the venue. The Door County Auditorium is a gem. Nestled in the heart of Door County, the theater is everything a big city theater is, and then some.  The acoustics and sight lines were excellent, and the building could not have been done any better.  For those that live or vacation in the area or for those that travel up from Green Bayor beyond, it is a delightful venue.  I guarantee that I will be back.  And given the talent the venue attracts, it should be an easy guarantee for me to fulfill. 

The second surprise was the opening act of The Lumineers, pictured above.  They played a simple brand of folk-indy, but played it with such passion, talent, and joy that the crowd fell in love. While their crowd interaction needed some tuning – the obligatory opening act mention of the headliner fell a little flat and the band didn’t take as much credit for a raucous Ho Hey as they should have – everything else they did was impeccable.  This is very talented band, folks, and one that I predict will have a big future in front of it.  

The next surprise was the talent shown by Brandi and the Hanseroth twins.  Brandi's talent is evident on her recorded material, and her distinct vocals create a tapestry of sound her fans have enjoyed for nearly ten years now.  What was lost on me was the depth of her musicianship, and how big of a role Phil and Tim Hanseroth are in the music.  Combined they really are a three-headed monster, despite the billing on the marquee.  This was evidenced on multiple numbers throughout the night, with some of the standouts being Before it Breaks and That Wasn't Me - the latter being an underscore example of their beautiful harmonies. 

The final surprise of the night was a rousing rendition of Bohemian Rhapsody.  The Queen classic is nearly un-coverable, but the feisty band pulled it off with such success that it brought the sold-out crowd to its feet.  It was a real treat, and the Door County cherry on top of an outstanding, and surprising evening.