Fans of all ages poured into The Loft, Vinyl, and Center Stage on the night of Thanksgiving Eve, November 24. It was the night of “The Stuffing: Manchester Orchestra and Friends," where ten bands got together to play for nearly six hours for adoring Atlanta fans. There was no doubt that fans were thankful; the show sold-out in advance, and kids and adults packed all three venues.
The show was hosted by Manchester’s own record label Favorite Gentlemen and featured many of the bands Atlanta loves most, including Manchester Orchestra, O’ Brother, All Get Out, Harrison Hudson, Stadiums, Trey Rosenkampff of Asherel, Death On Two Wheels, Manchester member’s side projects Bad Books and Gobotron, Dead Confederate, and Kevin Devine. Every band had a loyal crowd watching them, which was obvious by the heard of people moving from venue to venue as each act started and finished. Bands like All Get Out, Dead Confederate, and Bad Books seemed to have larger crowds, but every band that played got plenty of exposure. Listeners weren’t the only ones enjoying the abundance of great music; many of the band members were spotted in the crowd as well. Even Harrison Hudson said, “I would have had to pay $50 to see all this music, when I was your age, and only two of them would have been as good as the ones here.”
The highlight of the night was obviously The Stuffing’s headliner- Manchester Orchestra. Hailing from Atlanta, the rabid fans loved every minute of their hour and forty minute set, including a three tune encore. Although the crowd seemed to know almost every word to all the songs played, the set did have its high points, including the performances from 2009’s hit record, Mean Everything to Nothing, such as “The Only One,” “Shake It Out,” and “I’ve Got Friends.” Frontman and Atlanta scene ringleader, Andy Hull, opened the set with a solo tune, and played two more, including one in the encore. The single “Wolves At Night,” from Manchester’s breakout album I’m Like a Virgin Losing a Child was well received, to say the least. By far the most epic moment of the night was the Orchestra’s last song, “Where Have You Been?”. The tune was like a culmination of energy from the entire event, and members from All Get Out, O’ Brother, Harrison Hudson, and Kevin Devine filled the stage to bang on everything in sight and yell at the top of their lungs. The tune was a rollercoaster ride, soaring to high points, then falling to a slow thunderous breakdown that felt like the city could hear it. After an anthemic extended version of the song, the members all walked off one by one and the pieces fell apart beautifully with the drums left pounding away. Everyone who shared good times in the night was thankful for The Stuffing, but like most people, they want more. It is clear that Atlanta wants more in the years to come.
Check out the night's photos of band performances in all venues, here.
Ben Thompson
