Patrick Watson and Half Moon Run hit San Francisco’s beautiful Great American Music Hall for a double dose of Montreal music last Monday. Patrick Watson is touring on his latest release Adventures in Your Own Backyard. He’s got a handful of tour dates between now and December 12 (listed below) as he makes his way back to Montreal.

Fortunately, I arrived early enough to catch the bulk of opener Half Moon Run’s set.  Now, I imagine most people reading this site probably have heard their single “Full Circle” at some point this year, whether through independent radio, commercials, the blogosphere or audio osmosis. When they played the track, this connection clicked for me, personally. It’s a downright awesome song, understandably receiving the attention it has. But the rest of Half Moon Run’s set was equally impressive, if not more so. Essentially, while the band seems to be tagged with the “folk” label, their songwriting, complexity and intricacies are a very refreshing change of pace compared to many fellow folkers. I found many more elements of, say, Radiohead and Local Natives in Half Moon Run’s tracks than folkier staples like Mumford & Sons, Head & the Heart or what have you. Half Moon Run do utilize acoustic sounds, sentimental vibes and beautiful harmonies, yet they pair these with expansive, layered, multi-drummer percussion and tasteful, minimalist electronic elements that lead to a whole new animal. The Johnny Greenwood-esque guitar parts swelled into emotionally packed choruses and releases. Looking back on the year, it seems their 2012 Dark Eyes LP release was very underrated. Definitely have a listen. That being said, I still don’t thing the album does justice to the accuracy and depth of their harmonies, the range of their dynamism and the small audible touches they’ve mastered in a live setting. Akin to reading the book before seeing the movie, Half Moon Run’s live performance just felt way more complete. They were one of the best surprises I’ve seen in an opening act this year. I highly recommend seeing them if they’re in your neighborhood.

Patrick Watson took the stage shortly after, joined with his traveling troupe of troubadours. From my perspective, it seems Patrick Watson is one of those hard-working artists who’s been at it for the past decade, slowly earning ears and fans without the catch-fire of major buzz. This is probably for the better as Patrick & Co immediately demonstrated musicianship that surpassed at least my own expectations. Patrick opened the set with a delicate, solo entrance on “Lighthouse” before his backing band jumped in with complementary parts and a well-timed light show (see pics below). The nuances of Patrick’s music seemed well at home in the acoustically marvelous Great American Music Hall. It was quite apparent that each of the Watson band members were well trained in their craft, as the performance came off more like an orchestral arrangement with Patrick leading the helm. Additionally, I want to point out how beautifully Patrick’s voice came across live. During the performance, I was blown away that Patrick was not a member of the harmonically phenomenal Cinematic Orchestra. I noticed a few fans commenting on Patrick’s drinking at this show and others. First off, it’s not like this writer’s never drank when he’s played. But there were a fair share of topically shallow rants. Nothing that took away too much from the show, but I could see where fans at other shows might be coming from. Finally, I’d add that while the band name is “Patrick Watson”, Patrick did well to balance the ledger and showcase his band. It felt like they’d collectively agreed that the name might offer the best recognition (plus Patrick did record the album), yet they played as a cohesive ensemble. Check out Patrick Watson’s Adventures In Your Own Backyard album.

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Patrick Watson Tour Dates