Country Comes to Seattle: Brothers Osborne Play At The Neptune

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[Photo by @NC5_JKnutson, Twitter]

They may be called the Brothers Osborne, but performing at The Neptune on December 1st, it was John Osborne who stole the show. Standing approximately 6’5″ from the bottom of his boots to the top of his hat, the bearded brother broke it down on the guitar all night, at times making the flannel and blue jean-wearing crowd feel like they were at a rock concert. John even jumped on the mic to sing a few verses in a deep, unruly voice. But from the cowbell to the banjo, to a bluegrass style rendition of John Denver’s “Take Me Home, Country Roads,” the Brothers Osborne made sure to stay true to their country roots all night long, giving Seattle a little taste of Tennessee.

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Photo by Bobby Murray

Opening for the Brothers was Lucie Silvas, who’s not your typical country singer. Born and raised in London, Silvas moved to New Zealand before finally coming stateside a few years ago, but if you’re looking to attend The Dirt Rich Tour and are worried she might offset that “Night in Tennessee” vibe you’re seeking, don’t be. She more than proved her country chops on the honky-tonk style song, “Two Birds, One Stone,” which is about “A trailer park love triangle. You know, everyday stuff.” Interestingly, Silvas is married to John Osborne (another reason why he stole the show), who she met once she moved to Nashville. In addition to meeting John while living there, she presumably also made the 200-mile haul over to Memphis for a day trip (or two), because the blues flowed through her music like water runs through a creek bed. Acting as the show’s only opening act while LANco performs in Texas (and who will rejoin the tour later), after her set was complete, it was time for the Brothers to take the stage.

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Photo by Bobby Murray

Coming out to a jubilant crowd, Brothers Osborne played in front of an array of vintage TVs, broken slot machines, and even a Red Rider Leg Lamp to match the cover art style of their debut album, Pawn Shop, which was released earlier this year. Feeding off the upbeat crowd, the Brothers immediately jumped into their setlist that mostly consisted of songs off of Pawn Shop, but also included a few covers of Bruce Springsteen, Willie Nelson, and the Dixie Chicks. Despite sticking to their usual play catalog, the Brothers were in no rush to end the show, and three-minute tracks like the mellow “Greener Pastures” quickly turned into seven- or eight-minute jam outs of only instrumentals that allowed the crowd to move their feet, and John Osborne to show off his guitar-playing prowess. Unfortunately for punctuality’s sake, the Brothers rocked out to “Ain’t My Fault” as their finale as opposed to the hit single, “Stay a Little Longer,” which they played earlier in the night. Indulging the crowd’s pleas, they came out for a five-song encore in which they took requests from the audience. Much to my delight, they played “Shoot From the Hip,” a western song that packs a mighty punch in depicting gunslingers embroiled in a wild fight at high noon. Lucie Silvas also came back on stage for the encore to help T.J. Osborne sing a cover of Credence Clearwater Revival’s “Proud Mary.”

Whether you’re a country music veteran with an itch to see a live show from an up-and-coming band that loves the classics, or a newcomer looking for their first foray into the genre, the Brothers Osborne offer a superb show with a top-notch atmosphere that anyone can enjoy.


BOBBY MURRAY | Guest Contributor

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