Delta Spirit at The Vic (October 11, 2014)

This is is my concert picture (why?)

I have been a fan of Delta Spirit since 2010 (when I, as is the case with how I discover most music, was clued to them from a more knowledgeable friend), but wasn't able to see them perform until they headlined Taste of Randolph back on June 15, 2014. For mistakes I will not repeat, I had let other excuses take precedent and had missed many earlier opportunities. That night the previous band at the block party had run over their time, leaving Delta Spirit forced to play a shorter set before the neighborhood sound curtain fell. I remember front-person Matthew Vasquez apologizing, "If we play after 10 PM, we won't get paid."

The shortened set was a tease, but they said a new album with a supporting tour would bring them back to town in the Fall. I insta-bought the day tickets to their Saturday October 11 concert went on sale.

The first four songs Delta Spirit performed at The Vic Theatre were From Now On, Just Tear It Up, Live On, and Hold My End Up.

I am unable to specifically recall the remainder of the set-list because my mind had been figuratively blown. The back-to-back Live On & Hold My End Up was the best song pairing I have heard live all year. Both are off the new Into The Wide album that  was released in September, when people were too busy talking about a more high profile release.

The fifth or sixth song may have been Bushwick Blues (the song that introduced them to me, from 2010's History from Below). At this point in the night, I realized that they were playing all my favorite songs from three distinct albums thus far, with a sound far better than their album versions. The next day I  had to reorder by band rankings, for they are now a top ten band for me.

Immediately after the show, I had turned to the same friend who had told me about Delta Spirit four years prior and said, "If Taste of Randolph was a tease, that was full insertion."

Bonus tweet: