Canadian indie art-folk rockers The Acorn played the Great Scott Wednesday night, ending an eleven-city tour to promote the recent U.S. release of their album Glory Hope Mountain.
Their energetic set, full of ukulele jams, multi-part percussion, and sincere sing-alongs did not disappoint their fans, and perhaps even won over some barflies otherwise discouraged by Jonathan Papelbon blowing a Red Sox save.
When singer and principal songwriter Rolf Klausener walked on stage, he joked that he assumed Great Scott would be a venue for AC/DC cover bands. [I would be remiss if I didn’t mention bluegrass AC/DC cover band Hayseed Dixie, which, according to my friend Luke, is “ridiculous live.”] The Acorn opened with the lively “Crooked Legs,” and unless my ears deceived me, Rolf managed to replace a lyric with “back in black.” Later in the set, during a lull between songs, both the crowd and the band were startled to hear the original “Back in Black” softly playing by the bar. What at the time seemed mere coincidence (or a funny wink from the management), in retrospect appeared more a testament to Rolf as a talented songwriter, able to insert motif into the live set.
A quick note about the roots of The Acorn's latest album. Glory Hope Mountain is a thoughtfully written and arranged album, based on the life of Rolf’s mother, who emigrated from Honduras to Canada as a teenager. While documenting his mother’s stories, Rolf researched Honduran Garifuna music. Its influence is seen throughout the album, in the complex rhythmic patterns and layered percussion. Live, the Acorn stayed true to their carefully crafted songs, and even added a sixth member (Shaun Weadick) for the tour in order to match the album’s rich percussion arrangements.
Their set drew heavily from both Glory Hope Mountain, as well as their 2006 EP Tin Fist. The surprisingly sparse Wednesday night crowd ate up “Flood, Part 1” and “Low Gravity,” both of which benefit from the touches of Garifuna. Taking advantage of the room on front, crowd members took to dancing throughout the set. With all members of the Acorn continually switching instruments and playing without rest, the complex, layered and diverse sound, so beautifully arranged in their recordings, sprung to life on stage. When it came time for the encore, Rolf gave the audience the choice of a "soft one" or a "fast one." The crowd chose "one of both!"
After fifteen days of non-stop touring, and an energized set at Great Scott, the Acorn were finally able to rest, crowning their show with celebratory shots of Jameson, bought by the sound engineer, presumably a new (well-earned) convert.
SETLIST
01. Crooked Legs
02. Brokered Heart
03. Dents
04. Glory
05. Antenna
06. Plates & Saucers
07. Blankets
08. Feral Chile
09. Low Gravity
10. Flood, Part 1
11. Flood, Part 2
12. Spring Thaw
