OneRepublic Bank of NH Pavilion, Gilford, NH August 6, 2017 Story and photos by Louis Gendron
From the YouTube channel of kimclements1:
The Bank of NH Pavilion in Gilford, NH is one of the best venues I’ve been to in my 30+ years of going to live concerts. Fans and artists love this venue and it’s easy to see why. Set on a hilltop near Lake Winnipesaukee, it’s a beautiful outdoor amphitheater with plenty of covered, assigned seating, a lawn area and great sound quality. Easy to find, with plenty of parking and space for walking, there were some nice local (albeit expensive) food/drink options, and spacious bathrooms with easy access for everyone. The venue offers various ticketing and parking options for people who want to splurge down to the most budget-minded concert goers. On Sunday August 6th, Colorado-based OneRepublic made their NH debut here on a warm summer night to a packed and supportive crowd.
For those of you who’ve been living under a rock the last several years, or who haven’t paid enough attention to tell OneRepublic apart from British boy-band One Direction, make no mistake – OneRepublic, lead by singer/songwriter/producer Ryan Tedder, is one of the best bands on the planet today. Known for their hit songs “Apologize,” “Counting Stars,” and “Secrets,” the band has built up a very impressive catalog of great songs since their debut, 2007’s Dreaming Out Loud. In 2014, they released their 3rd studio album, Native, and proceeded to tour that album worldwide for over two years straight. Coming off the heels of that multi-platinum success and the world tour, the band released their next album Oh My My, but before they could even mount their tour in support of that new release, the band abruptly put a stop to everything and decided they needed a much-deserved rest.
Fast forward a year later and they’re back, re-energized, and focused with a new world tour and a focus on releasing singles rather than albums, including “No Vacancy,” “Rich Love” and the gospel-infused “Truth to Power” for the Al Gore lead documentary film An Inconvenient Sequel. On this night, many of the diehard fans had been waiting over a year to see the band and hear the new singles performed live, along with the overlooked but excellent tracks off Oh My My.
The band opened with the beginning of the “NbHD” from Oh My My, but quickly went into “Stop and Stare,” their second hit song from their debut Dreaming Out Loud – and the song that kept them from breaking up. They then went to one of their hits, “Secrets,” with its signature cello riff by bassist/cellist and co-writer Brent Kutzle. The rest of the show was a mix of well-known hits, new singles, tracks from Oh My My and covers Tedder co-wrote for other well-known artists. The set list sequence didn’t flow quite as well as I expected but make no mistake, each song stood on its own and there were no “down” moments. Tedder took time to talk to the audience and explain some of the struggles and reasons why the band had been gone for so long.
The band is known for having a big sound – layers of vocals, beats and strings/synths. However, the mix for this show allowed the listener to hear each member’s parts being played in relation to layers – much more so than even the Native tour. Set design & lighting had a much more 80s vibe this time around with triangular themes- perhaps a nod to The Police (Tedder recently commented on his vocal style for No Vacancy was influenced by Sting). Drummer Eddie Fisher is a monster player who isn’t as well-known. OneRepublic sound has always featured big drums, so I think some of the nuances of his playing are often overlooked. Eddie’s one of those drummers who can play slightly behind the beat to create subtle tension, while always serving the song.
On tracks such as “Secrets” and “Love Runs Out,” he really has room to stretch out and groove during the live shows. Most of the band backing Ryan Tedder tends to eschew the spotlight on stage and off, but co-founder and guitarist Zach Filkins was featured during a beautiful Spanish guitar solo – usually something he’ll do as an intro to “Counting Stars” – but on this night it was simply a beautiful standalone moment. Tedder was in fine voice with great control and his trademark energy, but not at the expense of his singing. He had a nice moment in the middle of the set where he talked about past reluctance to play live any songs he’s co-written for other artists, but he explained he no longer cares – and promptly went into a solo vocal/piano rendition of Beyonce’s “Halo,” followed by Ed Sheeran’s “Happier.”
From the YouTube channel of kimclements1:
During the encore, the band played the Tedder-produced/co-written Adele hit “Rumour Has It” with the two singers from Fitz and the Tantrums (the night’s opening act). OneRepublic continues their world tour through western Canada, the western US, then to the far east. https://www.onerepublic.com/tour Set List:
- NbHd (beginning only)
- Stop and Stare
- Secrets
- Kids
- Good Life
- Wherever I Go
- Better
- Feel Again
- Halo (Beyonce cover)
- Happier (Ed Sheeran cover)
- Come Home
- I Lived
- Let’s Hurt Tonight
- All the Right Moves
- Apologize
- Rich Love
- If I Lose Myself
Encore:
- Counting Stars
- Rumour Has It
- Love Runs Out
