On Sunday, Nov. 10, Dawes and Winnetka Bowling League warmed and opened the hearts of many at the Ryman Auditorium. The two acts offered solace through euphoric harmonies and hypnotic melodies throughout the night. From their gospel root-harmonies to oddly specific but relatable lyrics and melodic guitar chords, both of these bands provided the nostalgia boost that I craved. Nashville was the fourth stop on Dawes’ tour of their ninth studio album, “Oh Brother,” which will run until its final show at the Vivo el Gonzo Festival in San Josè del Cabo, Mexico, on May 10, 2025.
Winnetka Bowling League opened the show, setting the stage for a night of introspective rock reflection. The band is composed of Matthew Koma on vocals and guitar, Kris Mazzarisi on drums, Sam Beresford on the keys and Blake Straus on accompanying guitar. I first heard about Winnetka Bowling League during my sophomore year of high school when I feverishly hunted for new alternative rock bands. Since then, the band has experimented with their sound while staying true to their roots. Koma is a comfortable tenor frequently sitting in his upper register in songs like “Slow Dances,” their most popular single, which was released in 2019. Nowadays, in songs like “America In Your 20’s,” the production has further leaned into their psychedelic sound, which highlights Koma’s talents even further.
After performing “Sha La La” and introducing the band, Koma told the crowd of Dawes fans that he was also a massive fan, having gone to forty of their concerts, which was met with a roar of cheers. If Dawes is labeled as Modern Dad Rock for millennials, then Winnetka Bowling League should be rewarded the title of Modern Gen Z Rock.
As Winnetka Bowling League rounded out their set, they played “This Is Life,” their most recent single, with Medium Build and Dawes. Medium Build ran out from backstage and did not disappoint as they brought the melodic harmonies prevalent throughout the chorus to life. Of course, they left the crowd primed and ready for Dawes after a sing-along to their hit single, “Slow Dances.”
Taking the stage shortly after Winnetka Bowling League, Dawes instantly made their presence known. The band is composed of Taylor Goldsmith on lead guitar and vocals, his brother Griffin Goldsmith on drums, Wylie Gelber on bass, Lee Pardini on keys and Duane Betts on guitar. They opened with “Mister Los Angeles,” a playful New Americana song with some of my favorite lyrics of theirs.
“My trainer tells his clients he’s a shaman, we smoke some DMT before we bench, my diet’s strictly protein shakes and ramen, so we make sure to purge after we stretch,” Taylor Goldsmith sang.
Though they make absolutely no classical sense, in the context of “making it big” LA culture, the absurdity of the lyrics finds its way back to reality. Dawes’ music, in this way, is firmly within the New Americana genre, reflecting on the state of American culture with Taylor Goldsmith’s heartfelt voice.
Dawes continued with my favorite song of theirs, “Comes in Waves,” a song trife with the meaning that life consists of moments of passion, happiness and even inspiration. Taylor Goldsmith and Gelber riffed off each other in this song, nearly making their electric and bass guitars talk, showing the audience how this solo can also come in waves. The audience watched on as the guitar harmonies filled every nook and cranny of the Ryman. Taylor Goldsmith reminded everyone how meaningful the Ryman is to the Nashville music scene, reflecting on his first time inside in 2010 to see the late Kris Kristofferson. That concert inspired Taylor Goldsmith to go on and write “Nothing Is Wrong,” their second studio album.
Koma of Winnetka Bowling League came running back out onto the stage, met by cheers from the many Dawes fans who just heard them for the first time, to play “When My Time Comes.” Together, they created a nearly gospel-like tone that could’ve made the bones of the Ryman remember that it was originally a church.
As the night rounded out, Dawes played one of the most melancholy songs on their discography, “All Your Favorite Bands” — a song about a young and naive love ending, and the hope that, at the very least, all of their favorite bands stay together. Channeling the passion and emotion of such a vulnerable time in everyone’s life, I was left touched and lost within my thoughts while reflecting on such a time.
Dawes and Winnetka Bowling League are not just your run-of-the-mill New Americana band; they understand the true value of music that tugs on your heartstrings. To them, they’re just sharing their story, but intentionally or not, their songs become something more — a soundtrack to the struggle that so many can relate to. Each lyric and melody is a slice of lived experience, capturing universally-resonating emotions. Whether singing about love, loss or the quiet beauty in mundane moments, they have a knack for making anthems that feel like they were written just for you.
