So far the summer concert season has been one of expectations both high and low. If Coldplay was the band that greatly exceeded my low expectations, Doves are the exact opposite. I had set the bar at almost unachievable levels for the English rock trio and it finally came crashing down. I knew it was gonna be a rough night when the band didn’t take the stage until 11:45. I had to wonder if these guys were still on Greenwich Mean Time.

So at a quarter till midnight when I’m half asleep and fading, I’m supposed to be jumping up and down for one of my favorite bands? Something just isn’t right. Jet-stream? More like Jet-lag.

Once they took the stage none of this mattered as I was stoked as all get out. Doves are a band with a sound that needs time to build up and evolve. An atmospheric style full of swooping harmonies and laid back melodies. So when they cranked up the amp to 11 it wasn’t quite the ‘needle-drop” sound system I was hoping for. Calling it loud is like calling the ocean wet. A little bit of an understatement. They did rock but the show seemed a bit of a mess. Their style just doesn’t quite work louder and faster because they’re a band whose success comes from being a lot more subtile and taking time to build up their songs. It’s kind of hard to rush a 5 minutes song, but they did. The set list was mixed with most of the songs off Kingdom of Rust and a slew of their older hits. Two of my favorite Doves tunes “Kingdom of Rust” and “Pounding” both came across as sloppy and real disappointments. Standout performances were “The Last Broadcast” and “The Outsiders”. The latter which was one of the few songs that really delivered in this louder, harder environment.

Now even though the encore took place at almost 1 AM it was actually the best part of the show. Save the best for last I suppose. “Here it Comes” let drummer, Andy Williams, take the lead on vocals and the song came across as the bad-ass anthem or the “call to arms” that woke everyone up again. “There Goes the Fear” was the last and best song of the night both in energy and musicianship. These guys were on point and truly ended it on a high note. Which is what I needed for the long walk back to the DC subway station. So while the band might have dropped a little from the stratosphere I’ve been holding them in, it was only fair. Regardless of how high I want these guys to fly The Doves are only human.