There’s no better way to spend a Friday night in Music City than going to a concert. Before going to The Hails’ show on Sept. 22, I had heard a couple of their most popular songs, such as “Stay” and “Younger.” When I saw they were coming to Nashville at The End, I knew, as a sucker for indie rock bands, I had to attend.
VEAUX opened for The Hails at 8 p.m. CDT, and, an hour later, The Hails were welcomed on stage with cheers from their Nashville audience. Immediately after the band set up their instruments, Zach Levy started the beat of the first song on the drums. I smiled while realizing the first song was my favorite from their new album, “Caligula.” Everyone in the crowd started moving to the upbeat rock song which set the tone for the rest of the concert.
The Hails told the crowd it was their second time performing in Nashville — during their first, they performed with Happy Fits. The band then asked who in the crowd was from Florida, their home state. Several audience members cheered — including my friend who attended the concert with me. The band members, all graduates of University of Florida, pointed out audience members, including a fan who showed up in Gators apparel.
“Exonerate” was one of my favorite songs because the ending was so strong. The instrumentals and vocals got me nodding along to the beat. Vocalist Robbie Kingsley noted after singing it the song “leaves me out of breath.” After a couple more songs, the band noted several of the songs in their set were from their album released earlier this month, “What’s Your Motive.”
The Hails’ live performance surpassed their album recording to me. In particular, I enjoyed the guitar and drum solos, which also got big cheering from the crowd. After finishing their final song, The Hails exited the stage, but the audience chanted for an encore. Seconds later, the band returned under the stage lights.
“Always feels good to walk back. Just had to walk out for dramatic effect,” Kinglsey said.
The band finished their set strong, performing “When You Were Bored.”
The Hails’ energetic performance in Nashville left me wanting the night to last forever. After their show, I added several of their songs to my playlists and currently have them on repeat. The Hails are continuing their “What’s Your Motive” tour for the rest of September and will begin again in February.
