Concert Review: Pinegrove Spark Empathy At MHOW
“Thank you for coming out to our show about empathy, introspection, and compassion,” said Pinegrove lead singer Evan Stephens Hall, to which the guy behind me responded, “F**k Yeah!” If compassion got such a “rock n’ roll” reaction the world would not be in its current state. Yet, Pinegrove’s Sold-Out, Music Hall of Williamsburg show was for those that understand the peace you are to the world begins with the peace you are to yourself. So…… how do you get peace?
From tracks like “Rings,” “Cadmium,” and “Darkness” to a surprise duet with Half Waif in songs such as, “DAYS” and “Need,” Pinegrove sang to the moments the “red carpet” did not roll out. The times when you put all your heart and hope into a situation/ relationship and nothing came out of it. There was not even a grand lesson: just a full loss. Swirling with guitar-led verses that say things like, “What you are feeling is natural,” or acknowledging you are “trying not to be“bitter,” for Pinegrove, you have every right to be angry that you “lost,” but you have every right to move on and be happy.
So often, we think the validity of our anger affronts the value of healing it. Yet, I felt sincere hope at seeing a crowd of people sing to the struggles of trying to pick yourself back up strictly because YOU should not let yourself down. From “Easy Enough” to “Size of The Moon,” Stephens Hall’s crystalline voice rivered with the quiet emotions of someone trying to figure out if the desire to be happy is good enough reason to actually be it. It may be a strange compliment, but hie voice felt emotionally validating. He sung like someone saying, “Yeah, life sucks, but it will get better!” Hence, his show was packed with hundreds of people that appeared to be there to sing with the band the thoughts they carried and Pinegrove put to music.
Similar to Frightened Rabbit, Pinegrove’s show was a convention for people eager to feel that the world is not numb to pain, and that their surmounting, personal efforts to be better for it are worthy. Hence, the audience sang their every song as if the band was simply invited to back them up. Pinegrove was moved by their avid singing/support, and said “The past year has been a challenging one,” for them. Honestly, I don’t know Pinegrove’s challenges, but I know that audience felt as if Pinegrove had helped them through theirs. If all those people walked out of Pinegrove’s show eager to be as empathetic as they already were, then I know the future is still bright. For More Information On Pinegrove Click Here.
