A Rare Pleasure –The Milk Carton Kids at Thornbury Theatre

The Milk Carton Kids  - live 9 July 2023 at Thornbury Theatre

I’d be the first to admit that I have been neglectful in blogging, though truth to tell there is not much happening in my life worth reporting, as we endure another winter.

In the past I attended many musical events, but these days, with old age diminishing my hearing I’m less inclined to go.

However I made an exception for The Milk Carton Kids having seen them twice before, firstly at Thornbury Theatre way back in June 2013, then again at the Athenaeum Theatre in July 2015.

Before attending I did purchase and listen to their latest CD I Only See The Moon, a masterful collection of ten beautiful songs, and was particularly taken with several of them, namely  One True Love,  North Country Ride and Will You Remember Me.

The Thornbury Theatre was configured for concert mode, in rows of reserved seating and I’d booked tickets early enough to secure seats three rows from the stage in the centre section, a perfect position.

The show was opened by the support act, Canadian- American singer songwriter Vera Sola.

Vera Sola live at Thornbury Theatre 9 July 2023

I must admit her act was quite dramatic, though not really to my personal taste.

The Milk Carton Kids on the other hand were just as engaging as previously witnessed and performed a wonderful set of thirteen songs, drawn from their 10 record repertoire.

They are a minimalist act, just the two of them – Joey Ryan and Kenneth Pattengale – standing around a single mike and combining gorgeous harmony singing with guitar (and banjo) accompaniments.

The Milk Carton Kids – Joey Ryan & Kenneth Pattengale

I was delighted that they performed my favourites from their new record - exquisite renditions as you’d expect.

The audience in attendance were predominantly in the older age bracket, a circumstance remarked on by Joey Ryan when he singled out a young person sitting in the front row during one of the breaks between songs. Us older folk were amused rather than affronted by this, and gave the boys a rousing reception and even a standing ovation at the end of the night, where they returned for an encore of two songs, a fabulous cover of Pink Floyd’s Wish You Were Here and the final track on I Only See the Moon, Will You Remember Me?

They are a class act that I hope to see live again before I die.

 

Milk Carton Kids Setlist

1. Younger Years

2. Monterey

3. Maybe It's Time

4. Honey, Honey

5. All Of The Time In The World To Kill

6. When You're Gone

7. I Only See the Moon

8. One True Love

9. North Country Ride

10. Heaven

11. Michigan

12. All the Things I Did and All the Things that I Didn’t Do

13. I Still Want a Little More

 Encore:

15. Wish You Were Here (Pink Floyd cover)

16. Will You Remember Me?