Amidst fog, cozy surroundings, a cheerful crowd, and smells of fresh coffee and baked goods, Coffee Mafia lit up with the music of Weary Pursuit and Lawn Dog.
Weary Pursuit opened the night with their lead vocalist and acoustic guitar player, Bennett Hylton, singing the first notes of their debut single “Stay / Go”. The drum set player, Jeffery Wills, set the tempo for the rest of the band with a driving beat and vibrant energy. The tone shifted as the band transitioned into an almost jazz-like cover of “Don’t Let Me Down”by the Beatles, showing off the skills of keys player and vocalist Aura Noel.
Wrapping up The Beatles, the band then played another of their original songs, “Hold On.” The song started with a phenomenal electric guitar and bass duet, played by J.D. Ross and Jack Ward respectively. The harmonies and layers within the duet were truly attention-grabbing with the way that J.D.’s guitar sang out but was backed by Jack’s steady and funky bass playing.
Skipping down the set list, the sixth song of the night was band original “Horizon Line”. The song features an opening more reminiscent of a folk group rather than the americana style the band had been toying with through the night, then the sound shifted to have a much more acoustic feel than any of the previous songs. “Horizon Line” really let Alora show off her vocal strength, featuring her as the main vocalist for the song. Alora’s thoughtful and songbird-like vocals gave a nice contrast to Bennett’s raw and genuine performance he was giving throughout the night.
The eighth song of the night was Weary Pursuit’s latest single “Fly,” which dropped on all platforms on August 28th. “Fly” was the first original the group wrote as a full band since they started playing together in Spring of 2024. The final song for the night was a cover of “War Pigs” by Black Sabbath, dedicated as a tribute to the late Ozzy Ozborne, and, in my opinion, definitely was a worthy performance. Weary Pursuit, along with their cat mascot Weary Purrsuit, will definitely be a name to keep an eye out for within the Auburn music scene.
The band Lawn Dog got the concert started again when they came in with a cover of “Loretta” by Ginger Root. With a sound akin to that of Wallows or Peach Pit, the band came in with a powerful entrance from drummer Ben Tankersley and funky bassline from guest bassist Ben Lumpkin. The group features Garrett Moore on vocals and guitar, Colton Redmond on keys and vocals, and even had a guest saxophonist, Ricky Whorms, who did a phenomenal job at amplifying the sound of the group.
The band then went into their first original of the night, “Rain Dance”. This song featured the first of many uses of an old telephone instead of a traditional microphone in various portions of the song, giving an interesting vintage quality to the vocals.
The sixth song from Lawn Dog, “Dazai”, was a personal favorite of both myself and keys player Colton. Inspired by the book “No Longer Human” by Japanese author Osamu Dazai, the song features an amazing crescendo, fantastic chorus, a snarling guitar solo in the lower register and a bassline that really compliments the barking of the guitar.
The seventh song, original “Dunce,” comes in with a smoother sound than a lot of the previous songs. The piece features some vocal layering between Garrett and Colton that dances around a saxophone solo, which was later echoed by the guitar.
“Lamplight,” another original, was eleventh song in the set list but came in with an amazing energy that felt like it got the crowd hyped up in order to finish the night strong. The night ended three songs later with a cover of “Finding My Way Home” by Far Caspian.
To be perfectly honest, I was skeptical of ending on a slower and almost somber song such as this one, but I should not have doubted the performance. The way it varied from letting the audience soak in the feelings to barreling forward was truly a phenomenal end to an absolutely stellar night.
Lawn Dog showed just why they are a name to keep, they played an energetic, exciting, and involved show. They play another upcoming show at John Emerald Distillery in Opelika on September 19th. This group is definitely worth watching, especially because they plan on releasing their debut tracks later this year.
Overall, this was a fantastic night at the truly wonderful venue that is Coffee Mafia. Both Weary Pursuit and Lawn Dog put on some amazing shows. I know that, I for one, am going to be watching both of these bands rather closely to see where they go in the next years.
