On the drive into Woodstock, just outside of town, a giant roadside billboard delivered an unintentionally perfect pre-show message. “It’s Tick Season. Check Yourself.” Sound advice under any circumstances, but catching Deer Tick live has always been its own kind of reality check. Their concerts remind you what genuine rock & roll feels like in an era increasingly built on algorithms, playlists, and disposable moments.
For nearly two decades, these working-class indie rock lifers have quietly assembled one of modern rock’s most consistently rewarding catalogs. Records full of hard-earned wisdom, ragged beauty, and songs that seem destined to age alongside the people who love them. Which only made one question linger before the lights even went down on June 23. How on earth wasn’t Deer Tick’s long-awaited Bearsville Theater debut an automatic sellout?
Maybe that’s fitting, though. Woodstock has always rewarded those willing to seek something authentic rather than fashionable. Built just minutes from the site where Albert Grossman once cultivated a creative sanctuary for artists like Bob Dylan, The Band and countless others, Bearsville has always possessed a certain gravitational pull. It isn’t merely a theater, it’s a room that seems to remember every note ever played inside it. And remarkably, despite a career spanning nearly twenty years, this Tuesday night marked Deer Tick’s first appearance on its stage. It somehow felt overdue and immediately obvious they belonged there.
Opening the evening was Nashville-based Americana singer-songwriter Jobi Riccio, whose warm, windswept songs provided the perfect introduction to the night ahead. Drawing heavily from her excellent latest album Face The Feeling, Riccio effortlessly blended country storytelling with indie-folk introspection, her crystalline voice floating above tasteful arrangements that recalled both the expansive landscapes of the American West and the emotional intimacy of a late-night conversation. Her songs balanced vulnerability with quiet confidence, making every lyric feel personal and relatable.
Towards the end of her set, Riccio thanked Deer Tick for inviting her and her band out on tour before shifting into a candid reflection on the increasingly uncertain economics of making music. Speaking passionately about artists’ rights, she voiced her frustration over musicians’ work being used to train artificial intelligence platforms without meaningful consent or compensation. It was an honest, vulnerable moment that resonated deeply inside the room before she offered the perfect musical response. A stunning rendition of Gillian Welch’s “Everything Is Free.” Few songs better capture the impossible balancing act of being an independent artist in 2026, and Riccio’s aching performance landed as one of the evening’s most powerful moments. Following a brief changeover, the lights dimmed once again.
At precisely 9:30 p.m., John Williams’ triumphant Superman: The Movie theme blasted through the speakers as Deer Tick walked onstage like unlikely superheroes answering a call. The joke worked immediately. Moments later, opening with “Dog Years,” the lead track from their outstanding new album Coin-O-Matic, released June 5 via ATO Records, the Providence quintet wasted absolutely no time transforming Bearsville’s beautiful old barn into a joyful rock & roll playground.
Comprised of John McCauley (guitar, vocals), Ian O’Neil (guitar, vocals), Chris Ryan (bass), Dennis Ryan (drums, vocals), and touring multi-instrumentalist Jeff Dazey effortlessly switching between keyboards and saxophone, Deer Tick launched into a career-spanning set overflowing with personality, spontaneity, and enough surprises to remind everyone why no two Deer Tick concerts are ever the same. There’s a mythology surrounding their shows that can’t be manufactured. Their songs smell like stale beer soaked into wooden bar tops. Their choruses feel like closing time with old friends. McCauley’s weathered voice carries a cracked vulnerability reminiscent of Kurt Cobain, while his songwriting remains grounded in stories about regret, redemption, addiction, love, and survival.
Even their rough-around-the-edges production has always worked in their favor, preserving the feeling that every recording could erupt into something beautifully unpredictable. Albums like War Elephant, Born on Flag Day, and especially 2011’s Divine Providence cemented McCauley as one of his generation’s most underrated songwriters, capable of delivering devastating ballads like “Ashamed” before turning around and ripping through chaotic drinking anthems without missing a beat. Yes, they’re rooted in Americana. Yes, there’s country, punk, blues, garage rock, folk and alternative rock woven throughout their songs. But none of those labels fully capture what actually happens once the lights go down.
In Bearsville, not surprisingly, Coin-O-Matic occupied center stage throughout the evening. Rooted deeply in Providence history while meditating on aging, memory, regret, and impermanence, the new record never felt like obligatory “new album material.” Instead, these songs already sounded completely at home alongside longtime favorites. Following “Dog Years,” the band eased into “Mary Singletary,” before igniting the room with beloved staples “Baltimore Blue No. 1” and “Miss K.” With Father’s Day having passed only a few days earlier, Ian O’Neil paused before introducing the band’s latest single, “Everything Born.”
“It was written quickly about the tenuousness of life and the precious time we have to spend with the people that come into our lives,” O’Neil explained. “It’s about family, friends, neighbors, strangers and how these thoughts burrow a little deeper the older we get. I was thinking about my son and the people of Providence while writing it.”
The sincerity landed beautifully before another new favorite, “Once In A Lifetime,” gave way to drummer Dennis Ryan’s wonderfully charming “Me and My Man,” written from the perspective of his dog. Ryan would later return to center stage for “Running From Love,” continuing to prove how valuable Deer Tick’s multiple vocalists have become over the years.
One of the night’s first explosive moments arrived during “Easy.” As the song reached its blistering guitar solo, McCauley once again showcased the astonishing physicality that has become part of Deer Tick folklore, bending impossibly far backwards before collapsing flat onto the stage while never missing a note. The crowd erupted. His bandmates could only laugh. It would become the first of several impressive displays of his almost cartoonish flexibility throughout the evening.
Between generous swigs of Miller Lite, McCauley remained in constant conversation with the audience, introducing newer material including “ACI,” inspired by Rhode Island’s Adult Correctional Institutions prison system, and the instantly lovable “Sweetest Things.” Meanwhile, longtime fans were rewarded with muscular renditions of “Dirty Dishes,” “Twenty Miles,” “Jumpstarting,” “The Dream’s In the Ditch,” and another gloriously unhinged, back-breaking performance of “Mange.” Sharing a bit of a moment with McCauley as he lay upside-down on the floor, I couldn’t help but lock eyes with him and grin a mile wide as it felt like he was holding this pose just for me.
More highlights from Coin-O-Matic followed, including “507 Smith” and “Candy Cigarettes.” The title Coin-O-Matic itself referencing the cigarette vending machine company that once served as headquarters for infamous New England mob boss Raymond Patriarca, perfectly encapsulates the band’s fascination with American folklore, fading institutions and complicated histories. Then the evening shifted from excellent to unforgettable.
Inviting Jobi Riccio back to the stage for the rarely performed “Big House,” McCauley sheepishly admitted he needed to pull up the lyrics because it had been so long since the band last played it. It hardly mattered. Their voices intertwined effortlessly, creating one of those magical concert moments where everything simply clicks into place.
Next, McCauley quietly crossed the stage toward a piano that had remained untouched all evening. Alone beneath the lights, he delivered a breathtaking solo rendition of “Christ Jesus” from 2007’s War Elephant. Inside Bearsville’s pristine acoustics, every lyric hung suspended in complete silence. Stripped of the full band’s bombast, the performance became one of profound vulnerability, reminding everyone just how extraordinary McCauley has always been as both songwriter and vocalist.
As the band returned for the uplifting anthem “Hope Is Big” from their 2017 Deer Tick, Vol. 1 album, the evening then delivered its biggest surprise. Out walked Woodstock’s own James Felice. The hometown hero was greeted like family before leading Deer Tick through The Felice Brothers’ beloved “Whiskey in My Whiskey.” Watching James share harmonies with McCauley inside Bearsville Theater felt almost spiritually appropriate, a celebration of two bands who have spent years carrying the torch for honest, roots-driven American rock music. The smiles stretching across everyone’s faces made it obvious that this wasn’t simply fan service. The musicians themselves were having just as much fun.
Felice remained onstage for a gorgeous acoustic version of The Rolling Stones’ “Dead Flowers” before helping close the evening with an entirely unplugged singalong of “Ashamed,” the bands most well-known tune. Voices echoed throughout the theater as audience and band sang together, blurring the line between performer and listener in a way that only truly special concerts ever accomplish.
As Deer Tick took their bows, waving goodnight while another John Williams masterpiece. the soaring theme from Jurassic Park, filled the theater, the feeling was unmistakable. Nobody was rushing for the exits. Nobody wanted the night to end. That’s the thing about Deer Tick. Plenty of bands can put on a great concert. Very few can create genuine community. People travel hundreds of miles to see Deer Tick not because every setlist is perfect or because every note lands flawlessly, but because every show feels gloriously alive. The imperfections become part of the experience. Songs evolve. Friends become collaborators. Covers appear out of nowhere. One night you get James Felice. Another night you get something entirely different.
Deer Tick has never chased perfection, they chase connection. In doing so, they’ve quietly become one of America’s finest live bands. Maybe that’s simply the paradox of Deer Tick. They’re simultaneously one of the most respected bands of their generation and one of its best-kept secrets.
If Coin-O-Matic is any indication, Deer Tick are entering one of the most creatively satisfying chapters of their career. It captures everything they’ve always done best. Heart, humor, grit, reflection and the beautiful uncertainty of growing older without losing sight of who you are. Live, those songs somehow become even more powerful. Woodstock has witnessed countless legendary performances over the decades, and Bearsville Theater has become one of its most sacred spaces.
On June 23, those histories briefly collided with one of America’s finest working bands, producing the kind of collaborative, heartfelt, joyfully ragged rock-and-roll evening that reminds you exactly why we all love seeing live music in the first place. For everyone lucky enough to be there, it was a night that left you feeling inspired, fully alive and convinced you’d just seen one of the year’s greatest rock & roll performances. For everyone else? Sorry, but you missed an instant classic.
Deer Tick | June 23, 2026 | Bearsville Theater | Woodstock, NY
Setlist: Dog Years, Mary Singletary, Baltimore Blue No. 1, Miss K, Everything Born, Once In A Lifetime, Me and My Man, Sweetest Things, Easy, Running From Love, ACI, Mange, Born To Loose, Dirty Dishes, 507 Smith, Twenty Miles, Jumpstarting, The Dream’s In the Ditch, Candy Cigarettes, Big House*, Hope Is Big, Christ Jesus, Whiskey In My Whiskey**, Dead Flowers***, Ashamed.
*Duet featuring John McCauley and Jobi Riccio
**Felice Brothers cover featuring James Felice
***Rolling Stones cover
Jobi Riccio | June 23, 2026 | Bearsville Theater | Woodstock, NY
Setlist: The Ridge, Coyote, Green Flash, Pilar, NM, Love of the Song, Everything is Free*, Wildfire Season, Buzz Kill, Doesn’t Matter.
*Gillian Welch cover.
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