The War On Drugs

The War on Drugs  at the NorVa 6/30/2022

 Article and photography by: Wendy Podmenik Woodell

 Playing in Norfolk on a Monday night that capped off a long Memorial Day weekend, The War on Drugs was the perfect escape to relax the mind and spirit before workweek.

 Their 5th studio album, 2021's I Don't Live Here Anymore, was written and re-written over the span of three years- the interruption of Covid shutdown allowed vocalist/ founder Adam Granduciel to take his time in orchestrating the final release. Still being vigilant with precautions, The War on Drugs undertook this year's promotional tour while in a protected “bubble”, masking as necessary and foregoing enlisting opening bands for tour dates, to ensure as little contact as possible while on the road.

 Granduciel floats his introspective musings on love and longing out into the atmosphere- softly, while the music swirls around and cradles the lyrics. There are slight touches and influences of Bob Dylan in the vocal delivery and even a bit of Grateful Dead in the musicianship. Not so much as telling a story as describing a feeling, The War on Drugs' songs are immersive and fill the listener with a sense of restless yearning and dreamy contemplation. The music is stylistically heavy with synthesizers and sparked with innovative guitar solos and accompanied by saxophone. The stage set up features  multiple keyboards, a piano, plus Granduciel utilizes an assortment of guitar pedals and effects that nearly ring completely around his area on the stage floor.

 The set lasted a solid two hours and almost half of the selections were drawn from I Don't Live here Anymore. The evening's surprises were a cover of Bob Seger's “Against the Wind” and the unreleased Dylanesque “Slow Ghost”. Granduciel also teased doing a cover of Grateful Dead's “Touch of Grey” at an upcoming show, remarking that the band had rehearsed the song earlier in the day. “Harmonia's Dream” was a standout during the evening, a grand delivery accentuated by a light show mimicking the rays of a golden sunrise lifting over the stage. 

 The War on Drugs have been recognized by winning the Grammy's “Best Rock Album” for 2018's  A Deeper Understanding and just recently announced that they will be opening for an upcoming Rolling Stones show in London. Consistently critically acclaimed, The War on Drugs is not just music, but a mood- and you take Granduciel's hand, close your eyes, and float with him.

 I'm gonna say everything that there is to say
Although you've taken everything I need away
I'm gonna make it to the place I need to go
We're all just walkin' through this darkness on our own

Time surrounds me like an ocean
My memories like waves
Is life just dying in slow motion
Or getting stronger everyday?