The gentle Atlantic waves whisper up the beach as the sun descends into the oceanic horizon. The effervescence of tapped Blue Moon sprinkles through the air and into the souls of exuberant teenagers, blossoming adults, and mothers and fathers alike. It is a perfect August Saturday on the coast of Rhode Island, and it is yet to reach its climax. A cluster of college students and adults from up and down the U.S. East shoot the breeze for hours with a view of Block Island in clear sight. Everybody is in the same world; age difference, class difference, and general character difference make no difference tonight. And more and more people, some informed of the festivities and some just curious, continue to arrive in the soothing, unique gloaming of Weekapaug, RI.
Amidst all of this joy is a band. You would not necessarily recognize its members because they blend in so well with the crowd. Everyone is aware that they are dispersed throughout, interacting with current and soon-to-be fans, but they are yet to choose their moment to assemble on stage—on the porch of this house with a panorama of the Atlantic Ocean. Any moment they choose will be the right one, though. They couldn’t err in their delivery if they tried.
And then, seemingly out of nowhere, a drum intro. A reverberating symbol. A few picks of the guitar. And a voice: “Don’t ask me about the future. I wanna talk about right now.” Everyone’s ears perk up. Even if they do not catch the first two lines, the instrumental has the same effect as the words do. It is so complete and reassuring and just right. The beach dwellers clamber up the stairs to the lawn. Everyone gravitates to the euphony that makes Barefoot Truth, a band originally from Mystic, Connecticut who is on a rapid rise to widespread popularity with various audiences. They do not target any particular listeners; that simply would not make any sense. The Barefoot harmonies are pertinent to all.
Will Evans, percussionist, guitarist, and lead singer, has been running the show since its inception in 2004 when he collaborated with acoustic guitarist Jay Driscoll. And then, a harmonica genius in Garrett Duffy found the Truth, and then, a keyboardist and bass in John “Wayno” Waynelovich and Andy Wrba fell into place. They are all in their mid-twenties and all living the dream.
Barefoot Truth has a range of sounds spanning from the easier, relaxing pace of “Spoonful” to the upbeat, uplifting “Roll if You Fall” and “Worth.” They are all great dancing tunes in addition to being pleasurable while sitting on your desk chair or back porch. Evans sings about everything in life that matters most to us. They recently released an album entitled “Carry Us On” that skyrocketed on iTunes’ top rock albums the week it came out, underscoring the fact that it is a band to reckon with. Evidently, Barefoot venues will not resemble the one of that August evening for much longer.
Have you found the Truth yet?