The year was 2006, and at that time much of the world had yet to come across this famed band of brothers from Concord, North Carolina. I can honestly remember it like this happened last week… We were in the early phase of booking the 2006 festival and this band came out of nowhere and slapped us all upside the head. At that time they were starting their first national tour (w/ BR549) in support of Four Thieves Gone: The Robinsville Sessions, which to this day is still my favorite release from The Avett Brothers.

Believe it or not… I had to do some convincing in order to get everyone on board and want to bring the band out to Pickathon that first year…

Fast forward to Summer ‘06 and we’re welcoming Bob, Scott, Seth, Dane, and Justin to Oregon for the first time. This was the year that I can confidently say changed the future of Pickathon and our overall taste for music. Seeing a band like this during their formative years is one of those moments you’ll remember for the rest of your life. I can still hear Scott Avett yelling over the crowd to address sound tweaks with their FOH Justin Glanville…. I can still see banjos and guitars flying across the stage as Dane Honeycutt quickly replaces one string, then another, then another…

This was the first time we all got a proper taste of The Avett Brothers, and from that day forward they continued on with an unobstructed rise. Yeah, we did end up bringing them back in 2007, as well as helping put together their first shows at The Crystal Ballroom… But as all things must run their course, those were unfortunately the last times we’d ever work with the band again. The rest, as they say – is history.

Relive a special moment in Pickathon history that we now hold dear to our hearts.

The Avett Brothers – November Blue – Live at Pickathon 2006

Enjoy!