The Stews are living the dream. Their mere existence embodies the pinnacle of the proverbial “college band.” After forming at Auburn University, members Preston Hall, Blake Dobbs, Wyatt Griffith and Bennett Baugus transcended the label traditionally associated with house bands by leaving school to travel the country, playing their own music to sold-out audiences. This journey brought them to another venue in a college town — Thursday night, The Stews brought their blend of indie rock and metal with pop grooves to The Jefferson Theater, performing for a largely college-age crowd.
The Stews’ music has a heavy emphasis on live instrumentation and sonic fusion, which bodes extremely well for a live concert environment. According to the band’s website, “A Stews concert is a perfect blend of upbeat, singalong indie tunes and downright headbanging hard rock.” This sentiment could be echoed by anyone in attendance at their Charlottesville show.
2024’s “Chicken Fight” is the band’s second album release and most recent project to date, one that marks a significant development in all facets of The Stews’ music. From enhanced production quality to stronger songwriting to greater chemistry among the band members, this album is the group’s most complete, well-rounded project in their blossoming music careers.
The album also acts as a major move for the band towards shedding their association with the term “college band” into a more professional, universal category. These more developed soundscapes and lush compositions were on full display as they took the stage at The Jefferson.
The show was opened by North Carolina-based alternative-rock group Harvey Street, who delivered an electric performance to the eager crowd. Much like The Stews, Harvey Street has developed far beyond the college-town environment of Raleigh to partake in tours around the Southeast with a variety of different groups over the last few years. Performing songs such as “Betty” and “Irish Goodbye,” the group played with an infectious joy, radiating an excitement across the growing crowd. Not even a broken kneecap could stop lead guitarist Jackson Reed from shredding with a beaming smile on his face.
Soon after the opening act concluded, the lights in the theater dimmed, and an iconic Kevin James Daytona 500 speech poured out of the speakers, revving the crowd up for the performance ahead. While a somewhat jarring introduction, this prelude immediately engrossed those in the crowd with unbridled emotion and anticipation.
Suddenly, The Stews appeared onstage to a roar of applause. Jumping right into their set with their track “Chicken Fight,” the crowd was immediately jolted with the electric instrumentation reverberating throughout the theater. The titular opening track on their album from this year, The Stews are clearly proud to present their newest material to a live audience, showcasing one of their most mature, complete-sounding songs to date in their leadoff track. Immediately sending the audience into an ecstatic, headbanging frenzy, this was the perfect opening track to set the tone for what proved to be a spectacular live show.
Following the opening track, the band entered a groove with some of their most popular songs. With the crowd singing along to tracks such as “Notions” and “Not Again,” the group built up the crowd’s enthusiasm and mutual engagement. Blending floaty, echoed vocals with distorted, dreamlike guitar melodies, the band showcased their range and ability to experiment across genres.
In between songs, a chorus could be heard emanating from the crowd. What initially sounded like boos from those in attendance were, upon closer investigation, chants of “Stew,” encouraging and showing love to the band in a truly unique way.
Hall — frontman, lead singer and guitarist — walked to the edge of the stage throughout the performance, enticing and exciting the audience as they stood out in front of him. Both Hall and Dobbs constantly interacted with their fans, showing their appreciation for those in attendance amid spectacular guitar riffs.
Bassist Baugus laid down luscious, melodic undertones for each song while building a charismatic rapport with his fellow band members and the audience around him. And drummer Griffith balanced complex rhythms with ease, showcasing his pure percussive prowess in an incredible drum solo near the end of the show.
The venue itself is the perfect place to experience a Stews concert live. The Jefferson’s high ceilings, sloped standing area and the ornate architecture adorning the sides makes the theater a perfect sonic environment for all in attendance. When the wooden floor was not vibrating under the heavy basslines of the music, they were practically bouncing along with the swelling crowd.
About halfway through their set, the band truly hit their stride. On a four-track run that included recent favorites “Lately” and “How It Ends,” as well as established classics “Make It Out” and “Slip Away,” The Stews cemented their relationship with the already engaged crowd by celebrating some of their best-written and sonically diverse songs.
Such a contrast between sounds may be a tall task for some performers, but The Stews deftly maneuvered between heavy metal ballads and indie rock jams to keep their audience active and on their toes. And in taking the crowd on a trip through some of their best-written, most catchy songs, The Stews encourage their fans to sing along, regardless of their level of familiarity with some of the band’s deeper cuts.
Hall told the crowd that they last played in Charlottesville over a year ago, in the same location, but to a much smaller crowd. Their growth in popularity reflects their growth as artists, developing a more mature, complete sound based around complementary musicianship.
The band played for nearly an hour and a half before disappearing for a brief recess. Returning for an encore of “Fade Away” and “9-5,” The Stews ended their show on a high note. In their final songs, each member brought energy and passion to the stage, imploring each member of the audience to bang their head along with the bombastic metal rhythms before thanking the audience and leaving the stage for a final time.
Following the show, the band members congregated around the merchandise table to meet fans, take pictures and sign autographs. In talking with Hall, he mentioned that Charlottesville is one of his “favorite cities,” a place that he called “beautiful.” From Auburn to Charlottesville, The Stews have maintained appreciation for their college town roots.
Now, with over 90,000 monthly listeners on Spotify and a tour that will take the band around the Southeast, The Stews are changing what it looks like to be a “college band.” Their show in Charlottesville showcased the best, most exciting aspects of the group as talented artists, engaging performers and thoughtful, passionate musicians overall.
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