Despite the Belmont Racing Festival taking place at the same time about 80 miles north, it was a different kind of horse that brought the crowds to Bearsville Theater on Sunday, June 8th. Steeped in the rich musical history of Woodstock, the beloved venue played host to Band of Horses, a group that’s carved out a legacy all their own. Kicking off their Summer Tour, the town still vibrating with pride from celebrations earlier in the day, welcomed Ben Bridwell and the indie-rock mainstays with open arms. Playing to a sold-out crowd with a career-spanning set that leaned deep into their early catalog, the self-described “Third Best Band in the Carolina’s” reminded everyone why they’re often considered one of the great American rock bands of the 21st century.
But first the night belonged to Secret Guest, a genre-blurring six-piece from Charleston, SC. Don’t let the intentionally elusive name fool you, this was no ordinary opener. Known more for their art-punk unpredictability than commercial recognition, the group was led by guitarist and vocalist Bret Nash, who pulled double duty as lead guitarist for Band of Horses later in the evening. Crowding every inch of the stage with members drawn from such Carolina based acts like Homemade Haircuts, ADHD, 2 Slices and Faye, their set may have been short, but one that made a lasting impression.
Working their way through the woozy swirl of “Faded History” to the jagged crescendo of “Running on the Circle” and “The I’m Nothing Blues,” Secret Guest was equal parts art-rock spectacle and sonic experiment, bringing a wiry, no-rules approach to the stage, with unpredictable tempo shifts, and a punked-out irreverence that was both bewildering and endearing. Raw and primal, Nash’s guitar slashes paired oddly well with his metallic vocals on songs like “Internal Blanked” and “No Buzz.”
Each member carried the spirit of a DIY house show into the theater, with names like “Cutest” and “Drunkest” listed on their bios and a no-holds-barred approach to arrangement and style. Despite their chaotic energy, Secret Guest never felt unhinged, just unbothered by convention. Closing their brief but colorful set on a high note, the band played their new and possibly catchiest single “Put Me to Bed” last, setting the stage for Band of Horses yet to come.
When the lights dimmed for the headliners, the room shifted from curious excitement to full-on reverence. Ben Bridwell, adorned in tattoos and armed with his distinct, signature tenor, stepped onto the stage solo to open with “St. Augustine,” a gentle and haunting track from their 2006 debut Everything All the Time. It set the tone for the evening that was intimate, nostalgic, and unabashedly heartfelt.
As the full band joined the stage for “Lights” and “Crutch,” it became clear that Band of Horses were keeping it loose on this performance. From friendly banter to spontaneous laughter, Bridwell could be heard goading his bandmates to “have some fun.” Bridwell, introspective, and often self-deprecating, has remained the emotional core of the band, steering it through numerous lineup changes. The current touring group includes drummer Creighton Barrett, bassist Matt Gentling, and multi-instrumentalist Bret Nash. Missing from this show was longtime member Ryan Monroe, though the band didn’t seem to skip a beat.
For many in the audience, it was their first time making the pilgrimage to the historic Bearsville Theater. All night long you could hear whispers of just how neat they thought it was. They came from all over, too. Connecticut, Vermont, Massachusetts, and Long Island, and that was just in ear shot of the people around me. One particularly friendly family from Pennsylvania was there as a graduation gift to their son who is a huge fan of the band. I couldn’t help but smile when I caught them lost in the moment, dancing their butts off as the band really came into their own during the Infinite Arms portion of the show. Highlighted by “Factory” and the upbeat energy of “Laredo,” BOH would lean heavily on songs from this era, also giving “Dilly” and “NW Apt.” some love.
“Islands on the Coast” would rock the barn to its foundation, before one of the biggest communal singalongs of the night, “No One’s Gonna Love You,” gave you the full body chills. Ben would joke that the audience is more in tune than he is. Always his toughest critic, his self-deprecating humor only deepened the connection between performer and crowd and it was easy to see how much admiration the fans have for Ben.
Musically, Band of Horses fuse lush vocal harmonies with reverb-soaked guitars, leaning into a sound that feels both expansive and intimate. Bridging the gap between indie credibility and mainstream accessibility, their influences range anywhere from Neil Young to My Morning Jacket, but they’ve always had a knack for crafting songs that feel timeless, like an open highway on a late-night drive. “The Great Salt Lake” was a perfect example of this, while the ghostly shimmer of “Is There a Ghost” and the celebratory ode to simpler times during “Weed Party” elevated the energy in barn to previously unseen heights.
Bridwell smiling as the audience sang back his every word, would put on a trucker hat for some songs and take it off for others. “Wicked Girl” and “Ode to LRC” added some welcome variety and emotional complexity, but for the set closer came something a little more predictable. Going with one of the most recognizable indie anthems of the 2000s, the quiet build of “The Funeral” and its explosive crescendo felt even more powerful in such an intimate setting like this.
After leaving the stage with the crowd begging for more, Band of Horses returned for a brief but beautiful encore. Bridwell, seated behind a lap steel, confessed he “almost always screws up” “Our Swords,” but he needn’t have worried as this performance was as haunting as it was precise, leaving longtime fans swaying in the bliss of its irresistible groove. Finally, “The First Song,” a callback to where it all began, closed the night in poetic symmetry.
There are bands that age into irrelevance, and then there are bands like Band of Horses, who grow more compelling with each passing year. Bridwell remains the heart and soul of the group, a rare frontman whose vulnerability never feels performative, and whose tattoos, flannel, and trucker hats cloak a poetic soul. With a band capable of balancing nuance and bombast, and a catalog that speaks directly to the American experience of the past two decades, for those lucky enough to be in Bearsville, this was more than a tour kickoff. It was a reminder of what makes Band of Horses not just survivors of the indie rock boom, but one of the most beloved rock acts of this generation.
Band of Horses | June 8, 2025 | Bearsville Theater | Woodstock, NY
Setlist: St. Agustine, Lights, Crutch, Factory, Part One, Dilly, Laredo, Islands on the Coast, No One’s Gonna Love You, NW Apt, The Great Salt Lake, Is There A Ghost, Weed Party, Wicked Girl, Ode to LRC, The Funeral.
Encore: Our Swords, The First Song.
Secret Guest | June 8, 2025 | Bearsville Theater | Woodstock, NY
Setlist: Faded History, Running on the Circle, The I’m Nothing Blues, Internal Blanket, Dead/Alive Star, No Buzz, Put Me to Bed.
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