The Head and the Heart brought their 15th anniversary celebration to Beak & Skiff on July 31, drawing thousands of fans to the beautiful Central New York apple orchard. The band was touring in honor of their self-titled debut album which was released in 2011.

The band’s journey started in 2009, when they independently funded the release of their first album. They quickly sold thousands of copies at live performances around their hometown of Seattle, and it didn’t take long for legendary record label Sub Pop to take notice. Sub Pop facilitated the widespread release of the album, catapulting the band to stardom. They joined tours with Brandi Carlile, The Decemberists, and Death Cab for Cutie, and were featured at prominent festivals such as Bonnaroo and Newport Folk Festival.

Their lineup shifted in 2016, with the departure of Josiah Johnson, one of the band’s vocalists and founding members. His duties would eventually be filled by Matt Gervais (vocals, guitars, percussion). The remainder of the band’s lineup has remained the same, with Jonathan Russell (vocals, guitar, percussion), Charity Rose Thielen (violin, guitar, vocals), Chris Zasche (bass), Kenny Hensley (piano), and Tyler Williams (drums) rounding out the core. They have released six studio albums, the latest being 2025’s Aperture.

Opening the evening was Houndmouth. The New Albany, Indiana rockers have generated their own devoted following over their fifteen years of touring. Though the band’s line up has changed since its inception, they have stayed true to the harmonies and gritty rock sounds that have earned them their devoted following. The band opened with “Lordy”, a slow burning track off their recently released full length album of the same name. Matt Myers’ vocals quivered in his signature fashion, as he strummed his way through the mellow, opening track.

As the band wove their way through their 45-minute set, they were joined by members of The Head and the Heart, who added vocals to “My Cousin Greg”. Other highlights of the band’s set were “Tiger Blood” and “Sedona”, the later of which was the band’s 2015 hit single from Little Neon Limelite.

Following a welcome by orchard president and co-owner Eddie Brennan, The Head and the Heart took to the stage and launched in to “Cats and Dogs”, the lead track on their debut album. An immediate sense of nostalgia swept across the apple orchard turned concert venue, as the band performed the song that served as the introduction to the band for so many, fifteen years prior. Musically, the track is the perfect way to be introduced. Layered harmonies coupled with a catchy blend of pop, Americana, and folk music along with introspective lyrics, the song showcases how well the band fits their talents together.

The song flowed seamlessly into the second song, “Coeur D’Alene”, a more upbeat and energetic offering. With that, I was immediately struck by the band’s stage presence. Vocalist Matt Gervais wasted no time in exiting the stage, greeting concert goers in the front row with hugs and high-fives as he ran along the front barricade. Gervais would frequently sing from the front speaker stacks (and even made his way in to the audience later in the evening).

As the band performed their debut album, the word that kept coming to my mind was family. The band’s interactions amongst each other and with the audience reflected that of a group of loved ones welcoming the audience in to their family each night. After 15 years, one has to imagine that touring could become mundane. That never once seemed to be the case on this night, as the band regularly embraced each other on stage, and could be seen smiling and admiring each other as band members spoke and told stories of songs’ inspirations. They routinely acknowledged the audience, taking note of several posters and signs their fans held up, many of which called out the show as their first concert.

The word family also came to mind while scanning the audience. It was after the Covid-19 pandemic when I really started to notice the sheer amount of young children taking in concerts with their families. Friday’s show was no exception (and may actually top that list). Young children sang and swayed from their parents’ shoulders near the front of the stage, while pre-teens danced, did cartwheels, and played frisbee in the near vicinity.

Following the complete performance of their first album, the band performed a second set filled with fan-favorite tracks spanning entire catalog, including “Arrow”, “Another Story”, “All We Ever Know”, “Cop Car”, and “Shake”. Families and children stayed til the very end, clamoring for more and showing that the music scene is alive, well, and in good hands.

The Beak & Skiff summer concert series continues on August 5, with Lake Street Dive. See the remainder of their schedule here.