Review: The Paper Kites Touch Down in Boston For The Roadhouse Tour
☆ BY Catherine Kubick ☆
THE PAPER KITES ARE TRANSPORTING AUDIENCES TO CAMPBELL’S CREEK– a remote town outside of their native Melbourne, Australia on their North American leg of their ‘At the Roadhouse Tour’. The tour mirrors the name of the band’s most recent album and works to replicate the unique nature of the album’s conception. The album’s sixteen-song collection was originally formulated amidst an unannounced and unadvertised residency that took place in July of 2023 in the heart of the small town of Campbell’s Creek. This album and this tour exemplify what The Paper Kites do best, and that is presenting music in its purest and rawest form, in a way that facilitates a sense of rustic community, allowing each audience member to feel as if they have just stumbled into some local tavern or dive bar, having their soul be soothed and warmed by the fire of the band’s blazing chemistry. The band succeeds in their efforts to recapture the environment in which ‘At the Roadhouse’ was created, by filling each venue they visit with an aura of spontaneity and intimacy as they share their folk-rock discography with American audiences.
In Boston’s historic venue, ‘The Wilbur’ The Paper Kites took the stage following an incredibly lively and soothing opening set performed by the indie-rock duo, The Cactus Blossoms. As the main act began their set, immediately the audience was entranced by the band’s innate and electric connectivity. What was particularly striking about this live show, was witnessing The Paper Kites’ hypnotic effect on their audience. For the first time in a long time, I was in an audience that was almost entirely present and in the moment. There was hardly a phone or recording device in sight, just a sea of eager eyes, and gently swaying shoulders. Sam Bentley, the band’s lead vocalist served as a wonderful and humorous emcee for the evening providing some heartening banter and fascinating insight into the band’s unique and unprompted songwriting process for their most recent record before taking them on a journey through themes of longing and reflection.
The Paper Kites are accompanied on this tour by some additional musicians referred to as ‘The Roadhouse Band’ whose presence provided a more expansive musical experience with the Kites than some of their fans may be used to. The added instrumental colors and sounds provided by this collaboration were truly wonderful and did not detract from the intimate and whimsical sound that the Kites are best known for.
I was particularly impressed with The Paper Kite's ability to flex their versatility on this tour. The first half of their set was primarily dedicated to their familiar and harmonious folk sound, while the second portion of the performance allowed the band to exchange their acoustic instruments with electric implements; in which they shared their potent rock capabilities and slinky capacity for a blues sound as well.
A night with The Paper Kites is a night that feels like being welcomed with open arms into someone’s home. The air of comfort and familiarity that the band fosters towards their audience is something to be truly cherished, and the themes of It is clear that the “At the Roadhouse Tour” will work tirelessly to entrance and invite audiences across North America to take a trip to Campbell’s Creek and relish in a musical experience that forms a sense of community and permits a moment’s escape from reality.
