The Arcadian Wild at UpStage: A Night of Harmony and Heart
UpStage at the Phillips Center was the perfect venue for The Arcadian Wild. Turning the stage of the Phillips Performing Arts Center into an intimate listening room fits this band well. The Nashville-based group leaned fully into the strengths that have made them a quiet force in the progressive acoustic folk world: close harmonies, thoughtful songwriting, and a palpable sense of connection.
The sold-out show opened with “Welcome,” the title song from their most recent album. “Lara” followed, a gentle supportive and tender missive to a friend about believing in oneself. “Tell It Like It Is” echos with a quest for honesty within a relationship.
A highlight came with a brand-new song, “Impressions,” which the band introduced with the kind of nervous pride that makes live music so human; it will be on a planned upcoming album. . The tune is a meditation on memory and perception. “Shoulders” is a song that mandolinist Lincoln Mick wrote about his dad, and he mentioned how much more it moves him now, being a father of a new baby. That is a reflection of the emotional underpinnings of much of their music. “Big Sky, MT,” one of my favorites, showcased The Arcadian Wild’s ability to layer intricate musicianship and skintight harmonies.
Those harmonies were on display in the rhythmically inventive “Dopamine”, almost a song in the round with each of the three singers singing alternate parts in much of the song. Musically, their instruments interact in the same way as their vocals….intricate trade-offs, with fiddle player Bailey Warren and guitarist Isaac Horn sharing short interactive breaks with Mick. Each is a great vocalist in their own right. Bassist Eli Broxham provided solid and tasteful bass lines.
They closed the night with “Raincloud,” a tour de force of vocal and instrumental chops which they did without amplification, and the acoustics at UpStage made it a special kind of encore.
As someone who has always really loved tight harmonies (my playlist is full of CSNY, the Wailin’ Jennys and I’m With Her) these guys were right in my wheelhouse. They don’t rely on flash or volume; their music invites instead of insists. I have a lot of respect for bands that stick to original material, especially when it’s as good as their songs are; in that way they’re a little reminiscent of my friends the Currys. The Arcadian Wild are in the middle of a national tour, and if you’re a fan of folk-oriented reflective lyrics and dynamite harmony vocals, you really need to go out of your way to see them.
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