Flatland Cavalry and Kaitlin Butts

I recently saw Flatland Cavalry and Kaitlin Butts at the House of Blues (HOB) Boston and was BLOWN AWAY. Kaitlin opened and while I am not wholly familiar with her music, I have started listening to more of her songs in the past week. 

Exposure and energy are usually the goals of openers and Kaitlin met both. I was not wholly familiar with her songs before the show, just one or two, but this past week I have been listening to more and more. Though she wasn’t jumping around the stage she still commanded it and got people excited….that was until people started getting restless waiting for Cleto and Flatland Cavalry to come on. I would agree and say that she played 3 or 4 songs too many and that it is always better to leave people pleasantly surprised and wanting more than checking their watches and scrolling through social media while someone is on stage. 

Flatland Cavalry was quick to come on after Kaitlin was done and from the very first song they had me entranced. From the fiddler to the guitar player, everyone in the band was working the crowd and invested in every word to every song. They all truly wanted to be there. The star of the show was obviously Cleto. His vocals were amazing, his anecdotes short and sweet, and energy off the charts. I have been a Flatland Cavalry fan for about a year or two now, but after seeing them live I know I will be a fan for life.

House of Blues is a classic music venue that probably hasn’t changed since my parents were my age, but I’m glad that it hasn’t. It's not glamorous, but has everything you need. TIP: If you haven’t tried for a show, I would suggest stopping by the box office to try and snag some foundation room tickets. These give you access to a private coat check, a lounge with live entertainment pre/post show, and a restaurant if you are there early enough. Plus you get to skip the line for GA and head right in.