The Accidentals started the show by coming onstage as the 15 and 16 year old “Tree Huggers.” It took me a bit to understand what was happening, but when I figured it out, the show became really cool. The band was sort of acting out their own growth as a music group – the opening act was the band’s initial indie duo phase, with Larson and Buist dressed in casual high school attire.
They played the first song the pair ever played together: “We Are Gonna Be Friends” by The White Stripes. Then, they played “Eye To Eye,” the first song Buist ever wrote. Later, they played “Rainy Day,” which is the first song they ever wrote together.
Michael Dause, the current band’s drummer, acted as an announcer during this portion of the show. He came onstage and introduced the “next act” – which turned out to be The Accidentals during their second phase as 16 and 17 year olds. Larson and Buist returned to the stage wearing new clothes: most significantly Buist in a dress and her signature cat tights.
The Accidentals write a lot of songs based off books. They would introduce each song and give its backstory. Because of this, I was able to puzzle through the lyrics of most of their songs, which was a cool experience. For example, Larson wrote her song, “Lemons and Chamomile,” while doing calculus homework in the middle of dreary January. She also wrote a song based off a dead bird she found in the road – her friends though the song was about her boyfriend at the time.
Finally, the current Accidentals took the stage. They had changed clothes again. Dause took his place as drummer, singer, and occasional guitarist; their new sound was invigorating and really documented the band’s musical evolution.
According to Savannah Buist, the word “bittersweet” really sums up what touring is like. She described the sensation of “living in skips and hops,” coming home every now and again to find her brother “like seven inches taller.”
My favorite song the band played was called “Crow’s Feet.” I liked it because it reflects how the band was displaying their growth. The song began with Buist singing without any instrumental backup, and eventually the song’s energy built up and the entire band was playing alongside each other (pictured above). The song eventually ended with Dause’s drum solo.
They talked a lot about their new album, which will be available for free in a few months (more information below). They have a song called “Michigan And Again And Again,” which they played at the end with the music video in the background.
For the encore, Dause’s mom requested that he sing “All About That Bass” by Meghan Trainor. Dause introduced the song by informing us that initially, he had said, “No way – you’ll have to pay me!”
The band was available for photos and conversation at the end of the show near their merch table.
