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The Head and The Heart (w/ Jade Bird) Dazzle Portland, Maine’s Thompson’s Point [Photos]

Seattle indie-folk heavyweights The Head and The Heart made their way to the picturesque seaside views of Portland, Maine’s Thompson’s Point with an assist from opener Jade Bird.

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Seattle indie-folk heavyweights The Head and The Heart are just wrapping up the first leg of an epic return to touring after two and a half years in limbo during the worst of the pandemic. The tour, which spans five months, sees the band supporting their latest record, Every Shade of Blue, which was released late this past April. We caught up with the THATH as they made their way to the picturesque seaside views of Portland, Maine’s Thompson’s Point with an assist from opener Jade Bird on June 4th, 2022.

Despite the cool weather and it being one of the first shows at the Thompson’s Point this year, fans flocked to the venue early to graze at the many food trucks and grab a good spot to stand or sit for the show. Those who did were treated to a delightful performance by British singer/songwriter Jade Bird. Whatever damper the chill could’ve put on the night’s festivities was immediately dispelled by her charming stage presence and humor.

Clad in a bright floral suit and guffawing as she introduced nearly every song, Bird effortlessly endeared herself to the audience, beginning as a solo act before being joined by a small entourage of touring musicians. Highlights of her performance included fan-favorites, “Uh-Huh,” “I Get No Joy,” and “Lottery,” just to name a few!

As dusk began to fall and the fog began to envelop the stage, The Head and The Heart emerged for a whopping 21-song set spanning their entire discography, beginning with the title track off their newest album before continuing on with “Don’t Show Your Weakness,” and “All We Ever Knew.” The soulful vocal harmonies of guitarists/vocalists Jonathan Russell and Matt Gervais with violinist/vocalist/guitarist Charity Rose Thielen seemed to float along on the soft breeze coming off the ocean as the melodies ebbed and flowed.

At one point in the set, the band paused to exclaim how excited and happy they were to be back in the land of lobster rolls and lighthouses and how grateful they were to be playing live shows again. Two and a half years is a long time to be home from being on the road, but any rust that might’ve accumulated during those years was not evident.

THATH has played this venue before, most recently in 2017, and has garnered quite a following here regionally and locally. And while they have certainly never disappointed live, on this night, they sounded flawless, effortless, and even better than on recordings. It was clear both from the muttered musings overheard in the crowd and the enthusiasm with which the assembled masses danced, swayed, and sang along with the music that this sentiment was shared by most, if not all, in attendance.

The band’s performance would continue with a smattering of material off the new release, which was to be expected and was not a disappointment since—unlike many band’s fifth albums—it’s actually a good record! However, for longtime or even fair-weather fans, the group pulled out the hits that everyone ought to be familiar with, including “Missed Connection,” “Honeybee,” “Lost In My Mind,” “Down in the Valley,” and of course, encore-ender, “Rivers and Roads.”

The Head and The Heart’s current leg of the “Every Shade of Blue Tour” wraps up in Boston on June 10th but will continue in August with folk rock band Dawes and again in September with Shakey Graves—you can check out the dates for the remainder of the tour below!

Remaining 2022 Tour Dates:

06/09 – Vienna, VA @ Wolf Trap *
06/10 – Boston, MA @ Leader Bank Pavilion *
08/02 – Austin, TX @ ACL Live at The Moody Theater ^
08/04 – Houston, TX @ Lawn at White Oak ^
08/05 – Irving, TX @ The Pavilion at Toyota Music Factory ^
08/06 – Oklahoma City, OK @ The Criterion ^
08/08 – Salt Lake City, UT @ Venue TBA ^
08/09 – Boise, ID @ Outlaw Field at the Idaho Botanical Garden ^
08/11 – Missoula, MT @ KettleHouse Amphitheater ^
08/12 – Seattle, WA @ Marymoor Park ^
08/16 – Portland, OR @ McMenamins Edgefield ^
08/18 – Santa Barbara, CA @ Santa Barbara Bowl ^
08/19 – Berkeley, CA @ Greek Theatre ^
08/20 – Los Angeles, CA @ Greek Theatre ^
08/22 – San Diego, CA @ Humphreys Concerts By The Bay ^
09/14 – Denver, CO @ Mission Ballroom
09/15 – Morrison, CO @ Red Rocks Amphitheatre
09/17 – Richmond, VA @ Altria Theater #
09/20 – Charlotte, NC @ Charlotte Metro Credit Union Amphitheatre #
09/21 – Wilmington, NC @ Live Oak Bank Pavilion at Riverfront Park #
09/23 – Columbus, OH @ KEMBA Live! #
09/27 – Toronto, ON @ RBC Echo Beach
09/29 – Detroit, MI @ Oakland University – Meadow Brook Amphitheatre #
09/30 – Indianapolis, IN @ TCU Amphitheater at White River State Park #
10/01 – Chicago, IL @ Huntington Bank Pavilion at Northerly Island #
10/03 – Madison, WI @ The Sylvee #
10/04 – Madison, WI @ The Sylvee #
10/07 – Minneapolis, MN @ Armory #
10/08 – St. Louis, MO @ Saint Louis Music Park #
10/10 – Birmingham, AL @ Avondale Brewing Company #
10/13 – St Augustine, FL @ The Saint Augustine Amphitheatre #
10/14 – Atlanta, GA @ Cadence Bank Amphitheatre at Chastain Park #
10/15 – Nashville, TN @ Ascend Amphitheater #

* = w/ Jade Bird
^ = w/ Dawes
# = w/ Shakey Graves

When he's not out in the woods, clomping around in streams, or looking at shiny rocks, you can find our U.S. Managing Editor and contributing photographer Nathan Katsiaficas in the photo pit, covering everything from heavy metal to punk, alternative, indie, and hip-hop.

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