The Nashville Public Library YouTube channel has a wealth of content; including eighteen seasons of “Courtyard Concerts.” A majority of these don’t seem to be online but with the pandemic they’ve introduced “Virtual Concerts” with online performances from the likes of Joe Pisapia, Fats Kaplin, Patrick Dailey and, most recently, Crave On.
The roughly 40-minute set includes 11 song performances, six of which are previously unreleased tracks. “Rust Under the Hood” and “Ouroboros” from 2019’s excellent Ace on the Outspeaker set the stage for the intimate bedroom performance that includes Patrick Orr on guitar and vocals, Kate Richi on violin and backing vocals, Bryan Hench on bass and a drummer who’s name eludes all credits across NPL and Crave On’s own Instagram.
Visually, the band did an admirable job of eschewing the lazy route of a single locked off camera shot and keeping things interesting by jumping between multiple angles of all of the different band members. Aurally, it strikes a healthy balance between feeling like a real deal live performance (which it is) without losing clarity on any of the individual contributions. As with all virtual performances, it’s not quite as satisfying as being there in person but the tradeoff is that it sounds better and can be enjoyed on multiple occasions.
The biggest upside to the performance is that it may signal that Crave On is gearing up to polish up new material and release it to the world. The aforementioned Ace on the Outspeaker has been a mainstay in the WOTT rotation since it’s release and we welcome this opportunity for a sneak peek at what may be next.
