Touring is a way for bands to stay afloat. People rarely buy music anymore, and artist profits from any actual online sales are minimal at best. Touring can help earn bands some extra cash, but sometimes it can come at a cost. Touring is exhausting, and when Dry The River came through Boston it seemed like they were a little run down.

Nathaniel Rateliff opened for the band, and kudos to whoever booked the two bands together for this tour. Rateliff and co. were perfect openers. The two bands are aesthetically very similar, both employing lush vocal harmonies and honest songwriting. Rateliff’s songs are a curious mix of sexual imagery and his distressed feelings that come from that sex. It oddly worked really well. He had a great sense of humor and joked about his own songs. His band laid out some excellent harmonies, all three of his supporting musicians contributing hushed, cool backing vocals behind Rateliff’s gruff vocal stylings. They sounded excellent and had an excellent sonic blend.

Dry The River has always put on a really heartfelt show. One of the most attracting qualities about them is the earnestness that they bring to their sound. I’m not sure what happened to the band, but they didn’t sound like themselves. Dry The River has recently been thrust into the spotlight, and their album Alarms In The Heart reflects it. They’re embarking on bigger tours, and face more pressure from the industry. As a band, they just seem tired.

Frontman Peter Liddle, the driving force behind the band, seemed unusually run down as well. He looked gaunt, and his voice was weak cracking regularly. Dry The River has been touring since August, and it looks as if they could use a break.

Additionally, the mix was a little wonky. The vocals, a major part of their sound, were mostly lost to the instruments. But the band has been together long enough that they recognized the issue and adjusted themselves well.

But despite Dry The River’s hesitant presence, the audience was one of the most hyped up crowds I’ve seen in a long time. The crowd went berserk for the shy band, and, to be honest, it was bizarre. The band wasn’t actually all too sure of how to handle the ecstatic reception that the were receiving, especially since their songs are notoriously sad. They almost seemed shocked.

The band played a good mix of old and new songs from their two albums. In a live setting, the material from both albums combined together well. After their song “Family,” the band seemed to shake off some of their hesitation. But the band really got into their element for “Lion’s Den.” It’s one of their largest songs, and they sounded their best when they came out of their shell. Liddle brought his voice to a grand crescendo, and the whole band backed him in similar fashion.

All in all, the band might have had some energy issues, but that’s not necessarily new for groups. They still worked around it and played an admirable set. Hell, the audience went nuts for them regardless. So overall, the night went well.