The Wood Brothers Capture & Captivate Hearts During Their First Headlining Appearance At The Anthem

A beautiful Saturday in the district turned to sprinkles just as doors were opening at the Wharf’s favorite venue, The Anthem, as two forces of music nature rolled through town.  Charleston-based duo Shovels and Rope brought their southern charm to the stage and got attendees in the mood to dance.  The folk duo is made up of husband and wife Michael Trent and Cary Ann Hearst and the twosome proved beyond a doubt that ‘what’s yours is ours’.  Switching back and forth between guitar and drums, both members showcased their talent to make for a great opening act.

After a short break, The Wood Brothers took the stage to kick off their 110 minute set and introduce fans to some of their latest musical genius.  The eighth and latest studio album from the threesome Heart is the Hero debuted April 14^th and they hit the road not long after to share it. 

From the first moment chords were touched onstage, the crowd was instantly able to understand the assignment.  The lights and lyrics all let us know we were in for an intimate and amazing night of music.  The hits we already know and love were blended perfectly with new music that we soon will.  Oliver Wood made mention “Postcards From Hell” being their first sing-along of the night, laughing and saying that they hoped all of their new ones would be ‘because they want to be rich’, joking with the crowd and adding ‘I mean we want to connect with the populous.

A ”Loaded” immediately followed by “I Got Loaded” made the crowd even more ready to party and the hypnotic blend of instruments from Jano Rix and Chris Wood mixed with the dreamy voice of Oliver Wood, made you wish the show would never end.  End it eventually did and so will the Shovels and Rope leg of the tour however ticket holders were treated to something before the night ended when all 5 shared a single microphone onstage. 

We look forward to the next time The Wood Brothers return to Washington, DC, and eagerly await seeing Chris Wood dance with his standup bass at his side, hearing Jano Rix perform on one of his many instruments, having Oliver Wood's right voice resonate throughout the venue, and celebrate another incredible show conclude as they all gather around the mic stand during an encore. 

Now that we have heard songs from Heart is a Hero performed live, we look forward to having them add many of these to the sing-along list for many shows to come. Until then, we recommend listening to the songs from Heart is a Hero (found below).