Silverada make for a night of memorable music

Touring in support of its recently released eponymous album, Austin's Silverada rolled into town for a sold-out show. The venue, with its cozy 120-person capacity, offered those with a ticket an up-close audience with one of the tightest touring bands in country music.

Up-and-coming local talent set the stage for the evening as Virginia-based singer/songwriters Zac Townsend and Brennan Edwards each provided solid opening performances. Townsend delivered emotional and affective acoustic tunes including the standout "Story Pole" featuring a final refrain belted off-mic with a raw and guttural power that left a lasting impression.

Edwards, on the other hand, had a full band supporting him – adding a new dimension to his mostly acoustic recordings. Of note were the songs from his forthcoming EP, including "Stones," and a newly arranged cover of Waylon Jenning's "You Ask Me To."

Following a rousing introduction by beloved social media star the Cornbread Cowboi, who is also the featured actor in the band's "Wallflower" music video, Silverada (formerly known as Mike and the Moonpies) hit the stage and jumped into the sonically dense and cascading "Radio Wave."

Nearly half of the band's 21-song set was culled from "Silverada," an album that finds the band straying a bit from its neotraditional roots and into some new sonic territory.

Standout new album performances included the twangy "Stay By My Side," featuring lead singer Mike Harmeier channeling Willie Nelson at his classic '70s honky tonkin' best, and "Anywhere But Here," a Springsteen-esque midtempo rocker with an ultra-catchy chorus. "Something I'm Working On," which featured multi-instrumentalist Zachary Moulton on shared lead vocals, provided a mid-set bolt of hard-charging country.

The band also scattered some of its most popular songs throughout the show. The languid "You Look Good In Neon" was a big hit with the crowd while the one-two punch of "Steak Night At The Prairie Rose" and "Mockingbird" had them singling along from early in the evening.

"Hour On The Hour" from the band's 2021 album "One To Grow On" was another highlight. There was an energy surge during this song, prompting Harmeier to proclaim he felt it and asking the audience if they did too. Following another southern-fried rallying cry from the Cornbread Cowboi, the band played an encore featuring the new album's final two songs. "Load Out," chronicling the transient life of a touring musician, was a fitting start while "Hell Bent For Leather," with its feedback-soaked crescendo, made an excellent bookend to "Radio Waves" and capped a memorable evening of music.