Note: This piece was written by current teacher of dance arts at Northwood High School in Pittsboro, North Carolina, Leah Smith. I can confer she does indeed know what makes great-artists great, and has all credentials needed for writing the below review. She is Speakers in Code verified.
As someone involved with the arts on a daily basis, I have a pretty good idea of what makes an artist great. Whether it be a painter, dancer, writer or musician, the one thing that takes them to another level is passion.
Enter The Apache Relay.
From the minute the band stepped on stage at Local 506 in Chapel Hill, North Carolina, the crowd knew it was in for an amazing experience.
Six band members and over a dozen instruments filled the stage. Led by Michael Ford Jr., they started their set, launching into “War,” and as Ford sang the first few words I was immediately hooked. For the next hour-and-a-half, the smile did not even begin to leave my face.
The set list included songs from their album 1988, new songs to be featured on their upcoming album, and even an awesome Springsteen cover, “State Trooper,” which can be downloaded via the familiar widget below.
The band sailed through thirteen songs, each one with as much, if not more, energy than the previous one. Michael Ford Jr.’s heartfelt vocals were so open and uplifting, even if at times his lyrics weren’t.
The band are some of the most talented musicians I have seen, with some members playing multiple instruments throughout the set. It was hard to decide what to watch, but I was assured that whatever my eyes settled on would not disappoint.
The show ended far too quickly and left me wanting to rewind and hear it all again. Every member of the audience left knowing that this band truly loves what he does. It wouldn’t matter if the audience were 20 people or 20,000, any opportunity to share their passion is what keeps this band going. And I was very grateful that the Apache Relay were in a sharing mood this past Friday night.