Heartless Bastards @ the Varsity Theater
Heartless Bastards had the unfortunate task of filling in the headlining spot last weekend after their tour mates Gaslight Anthem had to cancel at the last minute. Luckily for fans of the band, this meant that they got to stretch their legs a little and show off their scorching sound that has been bringing them so much attention in the last few months. From the opening keyboard lead notes of “Into the Ocean” through to their two song encore, the band played a fiery set that had the large crowd’s complete attention. Not surprisingly, one of the biggest cheers of the night came for the title track from their latest album, The Mountain, which seems to be a favorite of the music directors at local station the Current. Siren voiced front women Erika Wennerstrom, whose smoky voice demanded the crowd’s attention, was a highlight of the night. The band playing with her were excellent, but seeing her moving back and forth between the key and guitar while singing in her commanding voice showed why she, and the band, have been gaining more and more attention this year. Next time they come through town, I imagine they won’t need anyone to cancel as they proved with the large crowd that they are quite the draw themselves.
