The Avett Brothers High Step Into 2023 At Home State New Year’s Eve Show

The Avett Brothers returned to their home state for a New Year’s Eve concert at Bojangles Coliseum in Charlotte, North Carolina. Valient Himself of the band Valient Thorr again fulfilled his traditional role portraying Father Time in the lead-up to the New Year’s countdown and remained for debut covers of “Stay” and “Stand By Me.”

The Avett Brothers began their New Year’s Eve concert with an instrumental arrangement of their song “Ain’t No Man.” Joining the band was the local Purple Charlotte Steppers Club dance troupe who danced in front of the group. The opener transitioned into “High Steppin’” as the guest dancers proceeded through their routine.

As the clock approached midnight, the band performed “Slight Figure of Speech” while accompanied by saxophonist Adrian Crutchfield. Father Time walked through the audience, shooting off streamers while making his way to the stage to join Seth Avett and Scott Avett and the rest of the band onstage.

The musicians followed the countdown to 2023 and subsequent balloon drip by launching into “Auld Lang Syne.” The traditional New Year’s singalong was followed by The Avett Brothers’ debut cover of the doo-wop classic “Stay” which was sung by Father Time and included contributions from Crutchfield.

Father Time stuck around for The Avett’s debut cover of Ben E. King’s well-known favorite “Stand By Me” featuring a sweet solo by Crutchfield. Following the pair of cover debuts, The Avetts and their guests reprised “Ain’t No Man,” this time singing the usual lyrics to the setlist staple.

Saturday’s New Year’s Eve concert also featured Seth Avett and Scott Avett’s father Jim Avett joining his sons for a song. The patriarch came out to help sing a cover of the traditional “Just a Closer Walk with Thee.”

Setlist (via November Blue)

Set: Ain’t No Man [1], High Steppin’, Head Full of Doubt/Road Full of Promise, Vanity, Kick Drum Heart, Geraldine, The Ballad of Love and Hate, Satan Pulls the Strings, Live and Die, Morning Song, Laundry Room, Old Joe Clark (Traditional), Go To Sleep, Distraction #74, Will You Return?, Backwards With Time, I Wish I Was, Le Reel Du Pendu/Les Barres De La Prison (Traditional), Locked Up, Rejects in the Attic, The Fall, I and Love and You, Just a Closer Walk with Thee (Traditional) [2], Operator (Jim Croce), Murder in the City, Slight Figure of Speech [3], Auld Lang Syne (Traditional) [3][4], Stay (Maurice Williams and the Zodiacs) [3][4], Stand By Me (Ben E. King) [3][4], Ain’t No Man [3][4]

Encore: Talk on Indolence, No Hard Feelings

Notes:

• [1] Instrumental
• [2] with Jim Avett
• [3] with Adrian Crutchfield on saxophone
• [4] with Valient Thorr as Father Time on vocals