Brother Moses cap tour run with a fun, no-frills night of rock in Indianapolis

Ever see a band live for what you thought was the first time, only to find out after the show that they had opened for another act you saw in the very same room less than a year prior? In all fairness I missed the vast majority of Brother Moses’ set when they supported Knox Hamilton last March, so this final date of their most recent tour run effectively was my first time seeing them. Nevertheless, I couldn’t help but feel a sense of regret for waiting this long, and with a live show as enjoyable as this one, it’s no wonder why.

The NY-based collective wasted no time in exposing a sellout Indianapolis crowd to their refreshing blend of rock and roll, touching on their early releases in addition to playing several cuts from their forthcoming sophomore full-length, Desperation Pop. Much of Brother Moses’ set can be characterized by seamless transitions, dueling guitars, and just this overall sense of joy and camaraderie.

The joy and camaraderie can be felt both in their live presence and on their studio recordings, even if it does sometimes contradict the lyrical content of their songs. Go listen to the new album’s stellar third single “What Does It Take?” if you’re having trouble understanding what I mean here. Live, the Arkansas natives played the song without its key saxophone solo, but somehow I wasn’t disappointed about that.

What really set Brother Moses apart from similar artists I’ve seen though was their stark dynamic contrasts. Obviously, they aren’t the first to utilize such contrasts, but there was just something unique about them that stuck with me, particularly on the climactic set closer “Bushes.” Instead of the soft infectious riff simply fading into nothing like it does on the original recording, the pop rock journeymen opted for a slow fall-and-rise that eventually culminated in this big, loud finish, leaving the stage with that.

Anyone familiar with Brother Moses knows that they are constantly hustling, and it seems to have paid off with a live set as memorable as this one was. They opened the evening for hometown heroes and TUNED UP favorites Stay Outside. Even though the vast majority of the sellout crowd had come to see the latter, who themselves are one of the best rock bands in the entire Midwest, I have no doubt that Brother Moses drove back to their new home of New York City with quite a few new fans. After all, with a fun, no-frills approach to a sound like theirs, who wouldn’t want to rock with them?

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