15 Years Later and The Head And The Heart Still Have It
The Head And The Heart treat central Tennessee to a special night as they play an intimate unplay in support of Jam For Good. The band’s last show in Nashville, a tour-closer in late October of last year, was at Ascend Amphitheater, a venue six times larger than tonight’s club. The band put this show together in partnership with Jam For Good to not only raise money for the charity, but also provide a livestream for children at the local children’s hospital. Jam For Good, a music-focus charity aimed at fighting childhood cancer, is supporting music therapy programs for pediatric oncology patients at Monroe Carell Jr. Children’s Hospital at Vanderbilt. Click here for more information on Jam For Good.
The night also doubled as the kickoff to the fifteenth anniversary tour of the band’s self-titled debut album. Since its release in 2011, The Head And The Heart has become one of the most quintessential folk albums of the century, helping define a decade of alternative rock, roots, folk, and left-of-center country music. The album launched the band into stardom, with numerous crossover singles, amphitheater tours, and it cemented them as a household name. It truly is hard to imagine many of the acts that followed, Mt. Joy, Caamp, Lord Huron, and even The Lumineers, having the same success they did without this album.
The band starts the night with a playthrough of the album. A tight melody of “Cats and Dogs” and “Coeur D’Alene” gets it rolling, the former beings a folksy little bop that sees the band embrace shaker percussion and their harmonies. It’s a short romp, bouncing right into “Coeur D’Alene” seamlessly. Matt Gervais takes on vocals here, bouncing with violinist Charity Rose Thielen and frontman Jonathan Russell. It’s a very communal affair, made further by the band’s set pieces designed around their old Seattle apartment. As the track builds, it eventually gives way to a chaotic piano break as it culminates into a joyous jam.
Following up the first round with “Ghosts,” a longtime fan favorite that again leans into the band’s harmonies. They’re haunting, slightly off kilter, made so further by Kenny Hensley’s rolling piano. It makes you a bit anxious, intentionally so, with its unpredictable flows, there’s so much whimsy behind the moody exterior.
Rounding out the first four, the band dives headfirst into “Down in the Valley,” one of the iconic singles from their debut. As gentle as a leaf, Russell draws in the crowd with ease. Playing off of Thielen, Russell’s rasp serves as strong juxtaposition to the effortless beauty in her violin. Well placed notes from Hensley also help to set the vibe ahead of the song’s shift, a moment where Russell leans into his falsetto. This song has high contrast, with its rough edges rubbing right up against its softest moments. It is uniquely excellent live.
Setlist
Cats and Dogs
Couer d’Alene
Ghosts
Down in the Valley
Rivers and Roads
Honey Come Home
Lost in My Mind
Winter Song
Sounds Like Hallelijah
Heaven Go Easy on Me
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Ever Since (Chasing a Ghost)
All We Ever Knew
Fire Escape
Another Story
Honeybee
Let’s Be Still
Missed Connection
Shake
Aarow
Aperture
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Glory of Music
The Head And The Heart have some extensive touring planned for 2026, with coast-to-coast dates celebrating their debut album, a two-night stint at Red Rocks, numerous festival appearances, and an arena run with Brandi Carlile dotting their map. If you’ve been itching to see one of the 2010’s most iconic folk-rock acts, this summer is your time to do so.
You can find The Head And The Heart’s upcoming dates below and all of the band’s future dates here.
May 1 – Nashville, IN – Brown County Music Center* [SOLD OUT]
May 2 – Chicago, IL – Auditorium Theater*
May 3 – Ann Arbor, MI – Michigan Theater*
May 4 – Milwaukee, WI – The Riverside Theater*
May 7 – Woodstock, NY – Bearsville Theater* [SOLD OUT]
May 8 – Concord, NH – Capitol Center For The Arts* [ SOLD OUT]
May 9 – North Adams, MA – Massachusetts Museum of Contemporary Art* [SOLD OUT]
May 10 – Brooklyn, NY – Brooklyn Paramount*
May 12 – Charlottesville, VA – The Jefferson Theater*
May 13 – Glenside, PA – Keswick Theatre* [SOLD OUT]
May 14 – Boston, MA – Boch Center*
May 31 – Ridgefield, CT – Ridgefield Playhouse
Jun 19 – Missoula, MT – Zootown Festival
Jun 26 – Freehold, NJ – North to Shore Festival
Jul 8 – Vancouver, BC – Orpheum Theatre^
Jul 10 – Carnation, WA – Remlinger Farms^~
Jul 11 – Carnation, WA – Remlinger Farms^~
Jul 12 – Bend, OR – Hayden Homes Amphitheater^~
Jul 15 – Morrison, CO – Red Rocks Amphitheatre+ [SOLD OUT]
Jul 16 – Morrison, CO – Red Rocks Amphitheatre= [SOLD OUT]
Jul 18 – Kansas City, MO – KC Live!•
Jul 19 – West Des Moines, IA – Val Air Ballroom=
Jul 21 – Madison, WI – The Sylvee=
Jul 22 – Chesterfield, MO – The Factory•
Jul 23 – Lexington, KY – CommonHealth Spirit Stage at Gatton Park=
Jul 25 – Porchester, NY – The Capitol Theatre=
Jul 26 – Vienna, VA – Wolf Trap
Jul 28 – Nantucket, MA – The Muse
Jul 29 – Nantucket, MA – The Muse
Jul 31 – LaFayette, NY – Beak & Skiff Orchards•
Aug 1 – Burlington, VT – Burlington Waterfront Park•
Aug 2 – Portland, ME – Thompson’s Point•
Aug 14 – Costa Mesa, CA – OC Fair & Event Center
Aug 15 – Napa, CA – Blue Note Napa
Aug 16 – Saratoga, CA – The Mountain Winery
Aug 22 – Salt Lake City, UT – Utah State Fairpark
Sep 1 – Charlotte, NC – Spectrum Center@
Sep 3 – Duluth, GA – Gas South Arena@
Sep 5 – Fort Worth, TX – Dickies Arena@
Sep 6 – Austin, TX – Moody Center@
Sep 18-20 – East Aurora, NY – Borderland Music Festival
Sep 27 – Ocean City, MD – Oceans Calling Festival
Italicized shows are celebrating the 15th anniversary of The Head And The Heart
* with The Brudi Brothers
^ with Michael Marcagi
~ with Dean Johnson
+ with The Colorado Symphony and Evan Honer
= with Wilderado
• with Houndmouth
@ supporting Brandi Carlile
The Head And The Heart have repeatedly proven their excellence. This is a band that has never faltered or strayed from the path, in fact, they helped pave that path. This band was at the forefront of a movement that shaped the 2010’s sound and The Head And The Heart was the seminal album that put it all in motion for them. I expect this band will continue doing what they’ve done so well for the past fifteen years, and I suspect that time will only continue to be on their side.
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