I felt a sense of community before the band struck its first chord.
Local families, couples hand-in-hand and girls in Blundstones streamed into the Vina Robles Amphitheater on Sept. 26, eager to hear Seattle-based band, The Head and The Heart.
Friends blew kisses across the crowd and beers were carefully carried to seats as opening acts Tyler Ballgame and John Vincent III set a cozy atmosphere for the night.
Vincent III praised Paso Robles for its exquisite Chardonnay while serenading the audience with a blend of old and newly recorded songs, including the fan favorite “Next To You.”
“This is a love song, so you know what to do: give them a kiss,” Vincent III said.
After the opening sets, an announcement invited the crowd to enter for a chance to win a signed set list. Fans were also encouraged to support the band’s Rivers and Roads Foundation, which helps fund music education programs for Seattle youth.
When the indie-folk band finally took the stage, the audience was electric. I couldn’t help but smile as I watched the crowd’s wholesome sways to the opening track, “All We Ever Knew.”
The Head and The Heart’s hit song “Rivers and Roads” has been streamed more than 300 million times and even sparked a TikTok trend where users typically capture the nostalgia of major life transitions. The track has also served as the soundtrack for TV series finales, including “How I Met Your Mother” and “New Girl.”
The tracks’ tender melodies allow listeners to drift into that state of nostalgia.
I can still feel the ache it evoked in my heart during my senior year of high school. The song’s live rendition transported me back, its resonance all the more powerful as I near the end of my college years.
Under the crescent moon, I danced to “Missed Connection” as guitarist Matt Gervais fled the stage to join fans in the audience. The gesture dissolved the barrier between band and crowd, as Gervais gave hugs and smiles to everyone near.
Violin in hand, Charity Rose Thielen captivated the audience with her raspy, alluring vocals, fashioned in pink hues and blue roots.
After over 15 years as a band, the group recently released their sixth studio album, “Aperture.” They described the record as being “bi-coastal,” having been self-produced in both Seattle and Richmond.
The album includes “West Coast,” a track written by pianist Kenny Hensley – the first song he’s ever sung for the band. His friends and family were in the audience and greeted him with cheers of love.
“I did this for the first time last night and I was so nervous I could barely speak,” Hensley said.
After the show, the band was in no rush to leave the venue. Multiple band members sat on the stage’s edge, chatting with and signing merch for elated fans.
I met guitarist Matt Gervais, who told me about life on tour and shared his advice for young musicians openly, as if I were a friend.
I was blown away by your energy on stage. I’m curious — do you have any pre-show rituals?
Gervais: I chase children around. I have a two-year-old and a four-year-old on the road with us … We spend the entire day chasing them, breaking up fights, coming up with creative games for them, making sure they get fed and all that stuff.
I definitely always do stretches. Stretching and getting myself in touch with my body is really helpful.
I used to do vocal warm-ups, John does vocal warm-ups still … but I found that I’m able to get through the show and the whole tour almost just as good if I don’t do them because we sing so much. We’re singing all day long … the whole day is one big warm-up.
Rather than having a ritual beforehand, I kinda think of the whole day and lifestyle as a ritual in itself.
Do you have any bits of advice for young musicians who aspire to pursue music?
Gervais: Do what’s true to you, because if you find success through doing what’s true to you, you will be fulfilled for the rest of your life, and there is no one that can take it from you.
Also, learning not to take perceived failures as something that is a reflection of who you are as a person, but rather as a stepping stone to something greater. Even when you quote unquote have achieved success, every step of the way, there’s some new challenge.
Just keep going, keep going, keep going, never give up.
The conversation ended with a genuine farewell, and while I was one of hundreds of fans he spoke to, I felt touched by the time he took to answer each of my questions.
The band will continue touring with their last stop in Seattle on Feb. 06.
I left the concert and headed back to San Luis Obispo with a post-concert high and a new favorite band.
