Nathaniel Rateliff & the Night Sweats - Moody Theatre - November 22, 2015

Hot damn, man, this was a fun ass show.  ACL taping for their 41st Season.  I had read a short blurb about this cat in Rolling Stone a few weeks ago, saying that his musical career fronting an alt rock band was cratering out and his solo work had been unsuccessful, to the point where he thought of hanging it up.  And then he formed this band with some friends from Denver, paying homage to Sam Cooke, Otis Redding, and doo-wop, and they've gotten some attention.

It is a big band - two saxes, a trumpet, bass, two guitars, organ, and the sweaty, ebullient, strong-voiced front man blowing it out in front.  They stepped to the stage with "I Need Never Get Old," and it was amazing.  I got goosebumps and just had to laugh - felt like we were seeing something really special.  People physically needed to get up and dance.

Crazy high energy - just hammering the audience.  So great.  In fact, the first three tunes (I don't know his music well enough to know what the next two tunes were) kept that excitement high and didn't let up.  He slowed down a bit in the middle to play "Shake" and the song that, in my mind, I was calling the "doot-doot-doot-doooo-doooo" song until just hunting for it and finding it is called "Mellow Out."  He made the lady next to me cry when he brought up his mom (apparently in the audience) and then played "Thank You."  But then they capped off the show with a strong rendition of their current radio hit, "S.O.B.," that had the crowd on their feet and singing along.

I just got goosebumps again watching the video.  The whole crowd was clapping and singing the "wooahh-oo-woah!" part like we were at a soccer stadium, and even kept it going when they left the stage.  So awesome.

And it is hard to understate the awesomeness of the trumpet player, Wesley Watkins.  The guy was JAMMING up there, even when he wasn't playing, he was pulling some dance moves out or shaking a little shaker thing with all the gusto he could manage.  The rest of the band wasn't as over the top, but they all looked like they were truly having a great time, enjoying the music, loving the crowd, doing their thing.  Freaking great show.  Watch it whenever it airs on PBS and you'll be a believer.