With the remnants of Saturday’s blizzard piled high on the sidewalk, concertgoers lined up outside to catch night one of The War on Drugs’ two-night stint at the House of Blues. After canceling the tour’s shows in Nashville and Atlanta, the band dropped the opening acts for the remainder of the tour, encouraged all patrons to wear masks for the entirety of the shows, and limited their access to the stage. Even some of the band members masked up. The nearly sold-out crowd didn’t seem to mind as lead singer and guitarist Adam Granduciel and company launched into “Old Skin” to kick off the evening.
The track started with an arpeggiated piano and subtle synths before building into an expansive Full Moon Fever-style rock ballad. After, the band jumped into “Pain” from their 2017 album A Deeper Understanding. The track highlighted the band’s dynamic. Each member had ample space in the mix to show their talents, but the spotlight was ultimately on Granduciel, who ripped through a blistering solo to end the track. However, he made sure to spotlight the other six members as often as possible by telling anecdotes about many of the band’s members throughout the evening. Granduciel recalled meeting saxophonist Jon Natchez when he was nine and how bassist David Hartley is trying to become “the future coach of the Boston Celtics.”
The Massachusetts native also had a few family shout-outs, including dedications to his brother and parents. “I haven’t seen my mom in three years,” said Granduciel, pointing to her in the reserved seating section. “This one’s for her.” Other than the occasional acknowledgment, Granduciel kept conversation to a minimum.
The performance was equally restrained in terms of theatrics — no massive screens, pyrotechnics, or elaborate stage design. Instead, everyone was treated to a road-hardened unit that knew how to play off each other. For instance, Granduciel scaled back his playing to highlight the acoustic picking of guitarist Anthony LaMarca on “Harmonia’s Dream” and allotted time for the synth and piano playing of Eliza Hardy Jones and Robbie Bennett on several tracks, including the aquatic keys they added to “Red Eyes.”
It’s been mentioned to death, but the band really does conjure up Springsteen, Dylan, and Petty. Granduciel acting as bandleader furthered the Springsteen/E-Street Band connection. However, none of those artists could straight up shred like Granduciel. This was especially true with “Under the Pressure” and closer “Thinking of a Place,” as he unleashed an entire range of bends, hammer-ons, and vibrato.
“Time surrounds me like an ocean / my memories like waves,” sang Granduciel on Allston Pudding staff favorite “I Don’t Live Here Anymore.” It seemed to remind the decidedly older audience members of a different time. A time when rock music dominated. When Dylan and the Boss — both of whom are alluded to in the track’s lyrics — held our collective attention. At least for the night, the audience could relive those days and just keep dancing in the dark.