Reid Genauer has been around awhile. From his days in the 90's as a founding member of popular New England jamband Strangefolk, to his musical hiatus as an Ivy-League scholar, to being the storyteller at the forefront of his current operation, Assembly of Dust, Reid has soaked up his various life experiences and squeezed them into meticulously written songs that float in the same realm as artists such as Crosby, Stills, and Nash or Jerry Garcia. Thursday night at The Paradise in Boston, Reid and Assembly of Dust showed up toting a handful of classic material as well as new tunes off of their latest release, Some Assembly Required. The album itself features guest artists on every track including Phish's bass master Mike Gordon, Vermont's country girl Grace Potter, and Woodstock legend Richie Havens.
Before AOD hit the stage, they were supported first by singer/songwriter Nathan Moore who some might know as The Slip's fourth member when they play under the name Surprise Me Mr. Davis. After Moore, the Emmit Nershi Band hit the stage. Featuring String Cheese Incident's Bill Nershi and Leftover Salmon's Drew Emmitt, the band blazed through a fine set of foot-stomping bluegrass filled with fast-fingered banjo and mandolin solos. Just after 11, Assembly of Dust made their way to the stage in front of an extremely age-diverse crowd, all of whom had packed in with the sole intention of hearing a classic Assembly of Dust set.
Reaching far back into his repertoire, Reid pulled out the Strangefolk classic "Valhalla" to kick off the set and as folks bounced to the upbeat chorus, it was clear that lead guitarist Adam Terrell was in for an all-star night. Terrell blistered through a tremendous solo in the middle of the tune and had the crowd hooked. Toning it down, but staying vintage, the band broke out into another Strangefolk hit, "Mama." Sounding a bit softer stacked up against the voluminous opener, the tune served to once again loosen up the crowd with Genauer singing, "Put on a smile, let your hair gently down."
The next highlight of the set came with the guitar-heavy hand-clapper "Pedal Down" off of the new album. While the studio recording features help from Zach and Andrew Gabbard of the Buffalo Killers, the song translated extremely well live. With the crowd still in motion, Reid and the boys kicked it with "Tavern Walker," another fast tune from Assembly of Dust's older catalog. The song alternates between a bouncy rock riff in the verses and a bluegrass shuffle in the chorus. Strutting his stuff on this tune was bassist John LeCeese who reminded me of a certain Phish bassist with his Modulus bass and goofy head nod. After the slow but rich "Cold Coffee," AOD stuck with the bluegrass for "Telling Sue," which was a highlight off of their 2006 release Recollection. With Terrell still on fire, the band moved to the powerful "Songs We Sing" which showcased Reid's mighty vocal chords and took the crowd a bit higher with a lengthy solo.
At this point in the set, three quarters of the band left the stage, leaving Reid and his guitar up for some stripped down tunes. Leading off with "Shame," Reid was then joined back up by his bandmates, but sticking with the acoustic theme, the four of them played a stripped version of "Bootlegger's Advice." As Reid struck the first notes of fan-favorite "Roads" the crowd recognized it right away and went nuts. With Reid's powerful vocals still in the forefront, the tune brought the meaning of acoustic to a different level. The crowd was overjoyed with this selection, belting out each lyric along with its creator, Mr. Genauer. Plugging back in to finish up the set, AOD played a few more tunes which included "All That I Am Now," the leadoff track of Some Assembly Required, which features the genius of Richie Havens in the studio version. To cap off the set, the boys threw at us the Strangefolk classic "Westerly." While the band seemed to be on different pages to begin the tune, they were reeled back in once again by another one of Terrell's beastly guitar solos. Capping of the set with great energy, the band opened this tune up, giving Terrell the opportunity to improvise and build up.
Wading back to the stage amongst a sea of "A-O-D!" chants (initiated by me- you're welcome), the band whipped out the roaring anthem "Man With a Plan." This time it was drummer Andy Herrick who showed his guns, tapping triplets on the ride during the song's build-up at the end. The tune brought to memory former member Nate Wilson, who no longer plays with the band. There was a clear void in the tune that left me itching for Wilson's additions, but at the same time, I was amazed at how the band made out with just four members. As the band left the stage again, the rowdy applause continued from dedicated fans who were determined to stick around. Unable to resist, Genauer was hooked back on stage for a solo version of "Second Song." It was a sweet end to an unforgettable night. Assembly of Dust worked their magic for another fantastic set, transforming a normal Thursday night into an early weekend. As the boys truck on to their next tour dates, I encourage anyone who has the opportunity to catch them while you can.
Set I: Valhalla, Mama, Sidestep Blue, Pedal Down, Tavern Walker, Cold Coffee, Telling Sue, Borrowed Feet, Songs We Sing, Shame*, Bootlegger's Advice^, Roads^, Truck Farm, All That I Am Now, Westerly
Encore I: Man With A Plan
Encore II: Second Song*
*Reid Solo Acoustic
^Full Band Acoustic
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