The nor’easter was no match for the musical powers of Escondido and KOLARS on Friday night at Boot & Saddle. On a co-headline tour, indie folkies Escondido and glam rockers KOLARS gave us a superb one-two punch of musical bliss.
1. Escondido were enchanting.
Led by the brilliant Tyler James and Jessica Maros, this Nashville outfit rocks with sublime songwriting and catchy hooks. With two albums under their belt and another waiting in the wings, they have a devoted following that will only grow as they continue sharing their talent with the world.
2. The new songs sizzled.
Those aforementioned hooks were aplenty on both the new and old tunes they played Friday night. James, on vocals, and playing guitar and even a trumpet on some songs, perfectly complements Maros’ voice and guitar work, making songs like set opener “Cold October” an invitation you can’t refuse. Their older work easily links in with unreleased songs like “Crush on Her” and “You Get Me High.” This is alt-country at its finest.
3. No storm keeps KOLARS away.
Despite traveling from the same place (Washington, D.C.) but in different vehicles, it took KOLARS at least three extra hours to make it to Boot & Saddle. Playing a truncated set did not deter this energetic duo. Rob Kolar rips on guitar and Lauren Brown plays drums like no one else. Playing songs from their 2017 eponymous debut LP, they blew through a quick set with gale-force bravado and Rob Kolar even storming into the crowd.
4. KOLARS could have stayed all night.
Kolar sidestepped and leapt while singing with rockabilly swagger. Brown tapped her feet on the drum while wailing away at the rest of her percussive jungle gym. With songs like earworm “One More Thrill” wowing the crowd from chord one, the twosome dripped with sweat and seemed like they wanted to keep playing past the encore. Keep this duo on your radar; their future is definitely bright 😎.
