The Head & The Heart w/ Wild Rivers, Marfa at Central Park Summerstage, Manhattan, NY

New York, much like other parts of the country, has been stuck in a heat wave for the better part of the last week of July. Not only that, but the weather reports have poorly accounted for the chances of rain, slamming New Yorkers when they least expect it. However, the excitement for a live performance always shines brighter than the weather, no matter what that weather may be, and this excitement couldn’t be more palpable than at The Head & The Heart’s Aperture tour at the beautiful Central Park SummerStage.

The Head & The Heart is a Seattle-based indie folk band formed in 2009, having found their footing through the initial wave of stomp-and-holler music of the early 2010s and stepping into a leading role on the genre’s recent revitalization. Their ability to create jovial tracks throughout luscious up-tempo acoustic rock has garnered millions of listens across streaming services, along with appearances at major festivals such as Lollapalooza and Coachella. The group recently released their 6th studio album Aperture and are currently on a lengthy tour in support of said record, featuring a plethora of massive venues and regional openers.

Arriving just after the skies started to clear up, The Head & The Heart took to the stage and ran straight into the title track for Aperture before moving into the Signs of Life cut “All We Ever Knew,” a favorite from the crowd. From there, the group went through an extensive set mainly revolving around Aperture, with cuts such as “Beg, Steal, Borrow” and “After the Setting Sun” getting tremendous crowd reception. However, the sextet has taken it upon themselves to change up the setlist every night, allowing them to play classics like “Honeybee” and “Another Story” alongside tour rarities such as “Winter Song” without having their show feel too repetitive. It’s always fantastic to watch a band switch up their set, as it keeps the group on their toes but also allows the chance for fans catching multiple dates to experience something new.

While the group didn’t partake in much stage banter, there was a moment where singer Jonathan Russell talked about the writing process for Aperture, or more specifically how Charity Rose Thielen became the boss right before jumping into the track “Finally Free.” Considering the massive 26 songs the group had to get through before SummerStage’s sharp 10:00 PM curfew, it made sense why there wasn’t much talking in between. However, it gave even more heart and significance to the pieces of their minds the group did share. The Head & The Heart’s setlist had all the moments of excitement and geniality you could expect, and it arrived at a glorious climax during their final song, “Rivers and Roads.” It was a wonderful way to end a near two-hour set from a band that had nothing but joy on their mind while playing.

The Head & The Heart proved they are more than happy to play for all of their listeners, from casual fans to new fans to diehard fans. You can listen to their excellent new record Aperture here.

The direct support slot for the New York date on the Aperture tour went to the wonderful Wild Rivers. The Toronto-based folk group has been touring in support of their 2024 album Better Now for the better part of a year now, and their presence on the lineup drummed up a lot of excitement from the front row with multiple fans passionately singing along to their track “Bedrock.” However, as the group began their song “Amsterdam,” the heavens opened, transforming a sunny SummerStage show into a rainforest. It didn’t seem to bother the crowd too much, as they were jumping and having the time of their lives in the rain. Thankfully, the weather returned to a normal (and thankfully cooler) temperature as the group finished up their set. Wild Rivers’ joyful energy was a much needed energy boost considering the circumstances, and they certainly made a new fan out of me.

Wild Rivers have a few more shows this year such as appearances at Lollapalooza and Austin City Limits and an opening slot for Quinn XCII before rejoining The Head and The Heart in Nashville. You can pick up tickets here as well as listen to Better Now here.

Marfa took to the stage at 6:00 PM to kick off the night. The Denver Americana duo were greeted by a warm SummerStage as they went through a relaxing acoustic set. The two joked about how the first half of the set were full of songs about how guitarist Kellen Wall got cheated on, to which Wall replied, “No comment.” The group has only been making music for about a year now, forming after they hit a deer in the middle of the road, and they expressed their gratitude for The Head & The Heart. The front row was populated by their friends and family, vocally showing their support every chance they could through cheers and singing along. If these are the heights the duo reaches after one year, who knows how far they will get in the future?

Marfa kicked off a night full of folk music with gusto, and their growth will be fantastic to watch. You can check out their music here.

The Aperture tour is just over halfway through, but if you are on the West Coast, you still have more than enough time to catch it! You can grab remaining tickets for the tour here.