SHOW REVIEW: Nathaniel Rateliff & The Night Sweats
February 16, 2025 @ Moda Center (Portland, OR)
By: Alex Steininger
Extending their South of Here Tour into 2025 with more North American dates throughout the winter and spring, Nathaniel Rateliff & The Night Sweats continue bringing their band of soul-Americana to audiences, supporting their fourth album, South of Here (Stax Records).
With country crooner Charley Crockett supporting the tour, who is touring in support of his forthcoming album, Lonesome Drifter, which comes out March 14, 2025 on Island Records, the two brought their show to Portland, Oregon’s Mode Center on February 16, 2025.
Charley Crockett got the crowd going with his tried-and-true dedication to traditional country, adding a modern, soulful spin to his authentic roots style. Playing a healthy, hour-long set, Crockett’s got the voice and the chops, as well as the style, to both mesmerize and melt your hearts. A perfect opener for the show, especially considering South of Here’s mellower, more relaxed feel, especially compared to The Night Sweat’s breakout single, “S.O.B.”
And, no doubt Crockett and his impressive backing band can hold their own (and turn heads, converting new fans), but it was Nathaniel Rateliff & The Night Sweats, on their first arena tour, that brought the show.
Having seen Nathaniel Rateliff & The Night Sweats at smaller venues prior, I went in wondering if they could live up to the expectations of an arena show. The short answer: yes, they can.
Complete with a huge video screen backdrop, and alternating between piano, guitar, and just singing, Rateliff and his band brought their songs alive in front of the screaming crowd.
Opening with “David and Goliath,” the Nilsson-esque first track off of South of Here, there was no question that everyone in attendance was in for a treat. Getting people up and out of their seats, the band got the crowd’s feet moving and the bodies shaking with this groove-driven, bouncy pop-rock rocker.
The R&B-driven “I”m On Your Side” followed, with Rateliff’s voice perfectly honoring Stax Records tradition, while the horn section brought the number alive.
“I Need Never Get Old,” the opening track to the band’s breakthrough, self-titled album showcased the timeless soul-rock of Rateliff and company, and their ability to make you just wanna dance. While “A Little Honey” and “You Worry Me,” both off of the band’s sophomore album, Tearing at the Seams showcased the band’s ability to use soul-grooves, pop-rock, and Rateliff’s undeniably hearty voice to melt the hearts of all those that took in the powerful rhythms.
“Heartless” and “Get Used To the Night,” two tracks off of their latest record (and the tour’s namesake), may be slower and less rowdy on the album, but that doesn’t mean the band doesn’t turn them into sweaty and danceable live; Rateliff’s melodies come alive and his band drives home the soul punch of these two, making them both some of album’s most memorable live songs, surely convincing those that don’t own South of Here to run out and get it.
“And It’s Still Alright,” off of Rateliff’s solo album following the success of The Night Sweats, and one of his biggest singles, had a good majority of the crowd singing along in the arena, while “South of Here,” which he and the band were bound to play (with it being the title-track off the new album and the name of the tour), while closer to the end, poured out sweat and soul, proving even giving it his all for over an hour, his voice wasn’t going to let down those that came out to support and experience the band.
The only cover of the night, Bruce Springsteen’s “Dancing in the Dark,” while a more note-for-note version, sounded jumpy and alive, a powerful rendition that did the song justice, and really injected a lot of energy into the tail-end of the show.
Ending the main set with the R&B rocker off their first album, “Trying So Hard Not to Know,” the band capped the show with fury, giving it their all, and whipping the crowd up into a frenzy. So, it wouldn’t be fair to leave them with that and not having played their biggest hit. So, after a quick break, the band came back out to do their encore.
It was a given they wouldn’t forget to play “S.O.B.,” so the moment they took the stage again, they ripped into this rowdy rocker. With the energy level at an all-time high, there was no way the band could play a slower or subtler number. They were bound to keep the energy up and end on a high, loud, fast note. And that’s exactly what they did with “Love Don’t.”
Doing justice to their fans and their catalog, there was no question if Nathaniel Rateliff & The Night Sweats could pull off an arena show. Seemingly bred for this stage, they turned Portland’s Mode Center into a night of passionate soul and blissful rockers, delivering a memorable performance that never seemed phoned in, giving it their all song after song, note after note. If the tour is coming to your area, my recommendation would be DO NOT MISS.
PHOTOS BY: Andrew Coursen F.
