Don’t go to The Avett Brothers show expecting to sit still.
“I’d say drink a lot of water because you’re going to sweat,” said Joe Kwon, The Avett Brothers’ on-tour cellist.
The North Carolina-based band will be performing at the House of Blues on March 7. Releasing their first full-length album in 2002, the band of brothers made their major label debut this past September with the release of “I and Love and You” on American/Columbia Records.
Kwon, who played his first show with the band in 2006, was a fan before he started touring full-time with them.
“You hear them on the CD and it’s completely different when you go to see them live,” Kwon said. He said he recalls thinking, “this is nothing like the CD, this is better!”
Part of the lure of The Avett Brothers’ shows is their spontaneity. Until recently, the band’s set list was decided onstage, talking amongst themselves between songs about what to play next. After some hinting by techs on tour, they started to adopt a set list. Kwon is reassuring that this new structure won’t take away their impulsiveness.
“It’s still very spur of the moment onstage even if we have a set list,” Kwon said. “We tend to make a lot of mistakes,” he chuckles.
Kwon started playing the cello when he was nine years old, when his mother awoke him mid-nap to go to a cello lesson.
“I said I didn’t even know what a cello is,” Kwon said. “I’m nine years old, the only thing I knew about was Thundercats and He-Man.”
Despite his confusion, Kwon said he fell in love with the cello immediately.
“It might have been forced upon me but as soon as I tried it out, I loved it,” Kwon said.
When Kwon isn’t rocking out on his cello onstage, he likes food. He really likes food.
Kwon’s food blog, Taste on Tour, features crisp photos and descriptions of restaurants on tour. One of his latest posts features photos from The Avett Brothers’ appearance on foodie-favorite “Ace of Cakes”. While Chicago is known for its deep-dish pizza, Kwon probably won’t be blogging about it while he’s in the city.
“I’m probably going to get crucified for this,” Kwon said, “but it’s like a pie. It’s not so much a pizza because it’s so deep and you get so many layers.”
Kwon mentioned Yummy Yummy, a Chinese restaurant, and Molly’s Cupcakes as memorable eateries he found in past visits to The Windy City. But don’t crucify him for his criticism of deep-dish just yet.
“I still enjoy it,” Kwon said. “As long as I go for a four hour run after, I’m fine.”
Besides scoping out the food scene at each tour stop, Kwon and the rest of the band like to wander the streets of the cities they play in, searching for local underground attractions.
“It’s nice to be able to come to Chicago, explore a little bit, eat some really good food, and then at the same time end the night playing a show,” Kwon said. “It’s one of those win-wins for us.”