In The Loop Magazine ITLM OTRS Presents: The Avett Brothers and Mike Patton (AVTT/PTTN) at Chesapeake Employers Insurance Arena (MD)

ITLM OTRS Presents: The Avett Brothers and Mike Patton (AVTT/PTTN) at Chesapeake Employers Insurance Arena (MD)

Jun 20, 2026 admin_bitlc Features, ITLM OTRS, Music News, Reviews 0

Review: Raymond Burton Este

Photos: Fleurette Estes

American folk rock band The Avett Brothers and experimental vocalist Mike Patton (Faith No More, Mr. Bungle, Tomahawk, Dead Cross) brought their collaborative AVTT/PTTN tour to the Chesapeake Employers Insurance Arena at University of Maryland, Baltimore County in Catonsville, Maryland on Sunday, 14 June 2026. AVTT/PTTN delivered a compelling, eclectic blend of Americana and alternative rock, demonstrating that AVTT and PTTN were more than capable of performing outside their comfort zones.

Fleurette and I often choose to go to shows kind of “blind,” in that we don’t do a lot of “research” ahead of time, allowing us to experience a show with open minds and fresh ears. We modified our approach to this show and spent some time with the AVTT/PTTN record and some of the more popular AVTT songs, though we did not check out videos of AVTT/PTTN live performances online.

I was aware of AVTT and know that Seth Avett has a signature Martin guitar and they’ve inspired a lot of people to pick up instruments and play Americana. That’s awesome and earns my respect. But I wasn’t familiar with their music until the AVTT/PTTN album. More importantly, it motivated me to explore their back catalogue, and I’ll say that “No Hard Feelings” is about as perfect a song can be and I wish I’d written it. Wow!

In any case, our approach proved sound and we were pleasantly surprised by this unlikely combo and we had a blast!

I was intrigued and liked the AVTT/PTTN album well enough but wasn’t sure how they would deliver these and other songs live. I’m drawn to eclectic collaborations – artists working outside their normal genres and pushing boundaries. I think AVTT/PTTN proved these artists have much more to offer than their impressive back catalogues suggest. And this is going to be one of these tours that people talk about in the future with many regretting they stayed away. This unlikely combination shared a blend of Americana, psychedelic rock, rap, and metal almost like a soundtrack to a cross-country drive with all the sounds to complement all the sights of America.

Unfortunately, not enough people showed up to experience it, leaving somewhere between one third and one half of the arena’s seats empty. It’s unclear if AVTT/PTTN fell victim to “blue dot fever” due to perceived high ticket prices or if other reasons motivated fans to not show up.

AVTT made a bold decision making the AVTT/PTTN record. A cursory internet search revealed this decision has frustrated AVTT purists who fret the departure from their traditional style not unlike Bob Dylan’s zealous folk fans who disavowed him when he went electric. That’s a shame. It appeared that many PTTN fans were just not that into it. While PTTN fans were likely less surprised and less offput, his contributions may just not have been interesting or “zany” enough. Some folks may have been dissuaded by the costs of the tickets, merch and food, and gasoline. For many, it was also graduation weekend. And, it was a Sunday night. So, for some AVTT and PTTN fans, there were plenty of reasons to stay away.

The AVTT/PTTN camp began their set at around 08:20 pm with a dark stage dimly lit by blue lights with an ethereal recording of PTTN’s Family Trees, during which time all eight of the performers entered the stage before opening their show in earnest with AVTT/PTTN’s Disappearing. Who could fail to notice that the band were appearing while “Disappearing,” just the kind of play on words one might expect from PTTN. And they continued playing in the dark allowing the audience to hear them before seeing them.

For me, the highlights follow. The band delivered an emotional rendition of AVTT’s “No Hard Feelings,” with PTTN’s vocals adding a new dimension to this brilliant song. AVTT/PTTN’s “Eternal Love” felt sincere and poignant. AVTT’s “May It Last” had a sea shanty-like cadence, and you could almost imagine PTTN as a jolly pirate encouraging AVTT’s sailors to start some mischief on a boat. Their rendition of Faith No More’s “Digging the Grave” was a banger with PTTN finally delivering his mad vocal power, which made it worth the drive from Virginia. The band’s cover of Roger Miller’s “King of the Road,” with an almost doo-wop vibe, was a perfect example of PTTN’s vocal range and how playfulness brings out the best of them all. PTTN with Seth Avett on piano presented a stripped-down version of Faith No More’s “Ashes to Ashes” that was simply soulful and moving. AVTT/PTTN showed their 70’s rock skills with their collaborative song, “Heaven’s Breath,” with Scott Avett proving he’s more than capable of playing rock music. Their cover of Dean Martin’s “My Rifle, My Pony and Me” was both lighthearted and somber, and you could also imagine Mike Patton and Scott and Seth Avett riding horseback from a long adventure. At around 10:05 pm, they closed out their show with a cover of Horatio Spafford’s gospel hymn “It Is Well.”

What a night! As a PTTN fan, I had no idea what to expect but I walked away with a new appreciation for AVTT and PTTN. Both camps were clearly into their project and had a genuinely good time making music together. They looked happy having fun on that stage. What’s so bad about that? And, if some folk dudes from North Caroline can get Mike Patton to sincerely and passionately sing along to traditional American gospel hymns, then they’ve got to be pretty darn special.

I’m looking forward to seeing Mike Patton again with Tomahawk on 26 July 2026 at the 9:30 Club in Washington, DC. And, with fresh news that Faith No More is reuniting and touring in 2027, I may just finally get to see them live!!!

As for what other possibilities, I’d love to hear AVTT/PTTN team up with Danger Mouse, Mark Ronson, or Paul Leary to produce their next album and continue their effort to expand their boundaries and challenge their fans. And, having seen Mike Patton’s take on Americana, I’d love to hear him collaborate with Willie Nelson as I think we’d all be pleased with the results.

Setlist Follows:

Family Trees (Mike Patton song)

Disappearing

The Ox Driver’s Song

Ain’t No Man (The Avett Brothers song)

No Hard Feelings (The Avett Brothers song)

Merry Go Bye Bye (Mr. Bungle cover)

Geraldine (The Avett Brothers song)

Eternal Love

May It Last (The Avett Brothers song)

Digging the Grave (Faith No More cover)

King of the Road (Roger Miller cover) (with a snippet of “Vanity Fair” by Mr. Bungle)