Seattle – Tractor Tavern recently opened its arms to indie rockers Kopecky Family Band. The Nashville six-piece filled the venue with warmth, clever interplay, and captivating musical talent in an evening that absolutely delighted the crowd.
Kelsey Kopecky (vocals, keys, bass), Gabe Simon (vocals, guitar, horns), Steven Holmes (guitar), David Krohn (drums), Markus Midkiff (cello, guitar, keys), and Corey Oxendine (bass, guitar, horns) took the stage as Tears for Fears’ “Head Over Heels” played over the speakers, the energetic crowd singing and dancing along to the 80’s tune.
Opening with “The Glow,” off their 2013 debut album Kids Raising Kids, Kopecky and Simon’s vocal blend, alongside the band’s musical build and high energy, catapulted their set to a strong start. The audience immediately fell in love with the band, with their tight chemistry and smartly arranged, incredibly listenable tunes.
Though they consider themselves a “family band,” none are related. Kopecky and Simon met at college in Tennessee, and immediately developed a strong musical relationship. Starting out as a duo, they added more members to form the musical family seen today. While Kopecky Family Band has been playing music for seven years, including stints at most of the major music festivals, it was only with their first full-length album, Kids Raising Kids, that the group began seeing more commercial recognition. The album received positive critical reception, and songs have been featured on several hit television shows.
Kopecky Family Band’s Seattle gig took place in their third week of touring, after spending time in their hometown recording in the studio. The group announced they have plans to release a new record in the spring, to much applause from the Tractor crowd. They launched into “Heartbeat,” a sexy track with heavy percussion, also off the full-length.
Before kicking off the next song, Kelsey held up her phone to take a photo of the crowd. “This is the way our parents know we’re doing something with our lives!” she joked, and then shifted gears into “Animal,” off their first EP Of Epic Proportions. Impressively, the key and tempo lent perfectly into sampling OutKast’s “Ms. Jackson.” Gabe carried the chorus of the Stankonia classic, while Kelsey and Co. continued the catchy “ba da ba ba’s” of their original.
Kopecky transitioned into the crystal clear opening whistles of “Birds,” off The Disaster EP, a certified crowd-pleaser. When the band announced the next tune would have audience participation, they taught the chorus to “My Way,” and encouraged lots of fist pumping, to which the crowd dutifully and enthusiastically committed. When Gabe broke out the trombone during the song, the already loud venue swelled with plenty of whooping and cheering.
After performing the Nicolas Cage movie-inspired “A Casualty” and “Are You Listening,” the group rounded out the night with an encore of “Wandering Eyes.” It was a spirited, high-energy performance, and Kopecky Family Band’s charisma and talent made it a night to remember.
Avid Dancer, a group out of L.A., performed earlier that evening. Fronted by Jacob Dillan Summers, it’s great surfy, indie rock with some blues motifs and a very full sound. When Summers announced that his mom was in the audience, the crowd went wild. “For some reason that always gets the loudest cheers when I mention she’s here,” he joked. Finishing the set with a nice, solo acoustic number, Avid Dancer was an impressive act.
Opening the night was local group Joseph Giant, normally a three-piece outfit, but since the drummer was on a trip to Peru, the two present members performed a stripped-down set. The lead’s gritty yet intimate vocals and guitar skills were a nice, gentle push into the night.
Kopecky Family Band’s North American tour continues through October.
Caitlin Peterkin
With degrees in journalism and music, Caitlin’s written for Paste Magazine, The Chronicle of Higher Education, and MajoringinMusic.com. She loves cheese, laughing at GIFs of corgis, road trip sing-alongs, and connecting with people over good beer and good music.
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