A Great Big Pile of Leaves at The End in Nashville

A Great Big Pile Of Leaves

Nashville – Though it’s dubbed “Music City,” Nashville is often pigeonholed as just a town for country artists. Yet just up the road from the crowded honkytonk bars of Broadway sit some amazing indie rock venues. The End, along with the legendary Exit/In sit just steps away from the campuses of Belmont and Vanderbilt Universities. The crowds in this part of town are much different than the rhinestone cowboys and cowgirls of Broadway, so one is apt to find indie, alternative, and hardcore bands in this part of town.

Pulling into The End the other night was the first ever tour put on by Topshelf Records. Headlining the tour was A Great Big Pile of Leaves, a 4-piece Brooklyn outfit known as much for their producing and mixing skills as well as their mellow, indie/emo sound. The last time I had seen A Great Big Pile of Leaves they were the opening act supporting The Early November’s reunion tour in 2011. The group at The End was miles away from the band that performed three years ago, in terms of confidence and musical maturity.

Supported by a solid lineup including Field Mouse, Diamond Youth and Prawn, A Great Big Pile of Leaves took the stage a few minutes after 9pm to a crowd of loyal listeners pushing their way to the front of the stage. A band of few words, A Great Big Pile of Leaves got right down to business, barely stopping between songs except to tune a guitar or take a swig of water. The set stuck mainly to material from 2013’s You’re Always on My Mind (“Pet Mouse,” “Snack Attack” and “Back to School,” among others) and 2010’s Have You Seen My Prefrontal Cortex? (“A Few Screws Loose,” “Vampires in Love”) but spread a little to the other corners of the AGBPOL discography as well.

The quartet pumped out a steady, hour+ steam of music that was both gentle yet engaging. Singer-guitarist Peter Weiland matched melodic guitar tones to his copacetic vocal style while bassist Tucker Yaro and drummer Tyler Soucy provided a solid rhythmic foundation that never left the pocket. Rounding out the band’s sound was versatile lead guitarist Matthew Fazzi, the band’s latest addition to the lineup.

I enjoyed watching the crowd last night as much as I enjoyed watching the bands. Though small in numbers, by the time A Great Big Pile of Leaves took the stage to cap off the evening the wild mob of 20-somethings was revved up and ready to cut loose. With each passing song they became more and more engaged: singing louder, dancing and hardly ever taking their fists out of the air. A Great Big Pile of Leaves took to twitter after the show, calling Nashville “The rowdiest crowd yet.”

The Topshelf Records tour runs through October 3 where it wraps up in New Jersey, where I saw these guys for the first time. Nearly three years after my initial exposure to A Great Big Pile of Leaves I can say for sure that they have grown up a lot. They have developed a sound and a following that is enjoyably refined.

Photo By Shervin Lainez

Kevin Ott

Kevin Ott

Originally from Trenton, NJ, Kevin Ott currently resides in Nashville, TN. He grew up playing guitar and bass in central NJ's punk rock scene and listening to Van Halen and KISS records. He is a 2011 graduate of William Paterson University with bachelor's degrees Environmental Science and Earth Science. He writes about music, environmental conservation and the outdoors. He likes running, hiking, playing banjo, and reading. Follow him on twitter & instagram: @nashresonator
Kevin Ott