American rock and rollers Nathaniel Rateliff & the Night Sweats took Bill Graham Civic Auditorium in downtown San Francisco by storm on Saturday, Feb 22nd. Composed of Rateliff and his backing band of seven, the group performed to a largely sold out crowd of fans. The show was not full of overly rowdy nor chaotic fans, save for the few that packed the aisle to sing and dance during the encore. Right from the get-go, Rateliff and his band (the Night Sweats) put on a show, one that included horns, keys, guitars, and rousing beats. Rateliff is an energetic performer, rocking out with his keyboardist one moment and strutting to his bassist the next. Having performed with some of his band mates for over a decade, they functioned like a well-oiled machine and sounded incredible. The singer/songwriter, popular for tracks such as “S.O.B” and “You Worry Me”, sang as well as played guitar and keys throughout the set. Rateliff engaged the crowd, telling stories of releasing a popular track just before the start of the COVID-19 pandemic and accidentally eating extra strong pot brownies one night in San Francisco. The capacity audience in the venue took it all in with much delight.
With a rousing rendition of Bruce Springsteen’s “Dancing in the Dark” which concluded the main set plus closing with their own track “Love Don’t” as the second and final song of the encore. Nathaniel Rateliff put on a great show! Combined with solid opener Iron & Wine, famous in his own right, the night was one not to be forgotten. The group will be touring with The Teskey Brothers and The Lumineers in select Canadian and American cities as well as performing headlining and festival dates through September of this year. We’d recommend checking them out wherever you get your music and seeing them live when they stop into your city. Nathaniel Rateliff & the Night Sweats are still touring in promotion of their latest album titled “South of Here” so give it a listen when you get the chance.
For the fans that haven’t gotten to see the group live yet, you can still enjoy our exclusive photo gallery from February 22nd in San Francisco just below. Finally, you can follow Nathaniel Rateliff & the Night Sweats on social media @NathanielRateliff for additional updates and more musical content.
Article & Photos By Lauren Fuchs (@LaurenFuchsPhotography)
