I dabble in the record biz, hitting a few shows, maybe buying a collection here or there. A few years back I came across a copy of Dear Wormwood and I’ve been waiting for The Oh Hellos to come to town ever since. In fact we are smack dab in the middle of the 10th Anniversary of that very album which was the cause for the first full tour since 2019. Fort Collins was the opening date of a 20 show run that will traverse the country twice. The show was sold out which is the case for most of the concerts that are scheduled. They invited Rabbitology out to open up the first half to the tour.

Rabbitology is the musical world and persona of Michigan-based alt folk singer/songwriter Nat Timmerman. She creates music with whatever is at hand apples, bugs, you name it. She utilizes a simple digital station with pre-recorded loops accompanied by guitarist Marcus Qhoh. She found fame on Spotify and a record deal quickly followed. Now she is balancing the life of a student and that of a rock star. Her set was delicately intense and filled with a jubilance not regularly seen in today’s musical landscape. Her set lasted around 45 minutes starting with an apple infused “Candleburn” and the vast space of “Bog Bodies.” Most of the tracks that are available for online consumption were recorded as demos in her dorm room. Now out of the dormitory she is finding receptive audiences on the web and in person. In fact the crowd was riled up and playing along. “Foxcry” lands at the intersection of indie but is written with a pop sensibility that is infectious. “Wolf House” is another musical texture built on Nat’s vocals. “Wildfire (Gone, Gone, Gone) / Death Song” was a moment of audience interaction with the crowd providing the sounds of the fire starting slowing and then building into a massive flame with each clap. She ended her set with an explosive “Millie, Warm The Kettle.” Rabbitology is a project that is taking shape right now. As a young musician she has already found an audience whether she was looking for one or not. Let’s see where they take her.

Fans bristled with excitement, some having waited their whole lives for this show. The Oh Hellos were at the tippy top of the tour playing at Washington’s in Fort Collins. This was night one of three in Colorado with stops in Boulder and Denver forthcoming. It was a completely sold out show and the floor was absolutely packed ass to elbow. The six piece backing group proceeded the brother and sister bandleaders Tyler and Maggie Heath who took the stage adorned in robes and flowers. The ‘longest set of their careers’ featured songs from their entire catalog including the set opening “Rio Grande” off their 2020 release Zephyrus. The Oh Hellos are a cacophonous blend of acoustic instrumentation and pure beauty. Their vocals are Simon and Garfunkelesque in their otherworldly harmonization and the band is a battle ready brigade ready to pounce and attack musically. They would end up playing a large swath of Dear Wormwood starting with “Bitter Water” into a transcendent “There Beneath.” The music is like a whisper from a lover full of rich intention and delicate stories.

The altitude was an issue throughout the show and it made the band ponder why they started a tour at a mile above sea level. The crowd was both gracious and attentive with the majority belting out every word. There was a palpable relationship between band and audience that to the uninitiated felt very sweet. Early highlights from their chonky set included a heavy “Exeunt” and the esoteric “Glowing.” The band left and bother and sister treated us to a new song as a solo duo. The band rejoined on an epic throwback to their first EP with “Hello My Old Heart.” This band  is magical and majestic in their delivery. Fans including myself were transfixed on the stage as the band went from 0 to 60 and back again. “This Will End” built beautifully, but “Soldier, Poet, King” was an epic tale told through song. They went into an unexpected but jubilantly celebrated rendition of Kate Bush’s “Suspended in Gaffa.” They closed their monumental set with a sweet “Rounds.”

The Oh Hellos returned for the encore as a duo with “In Memoriam” an ode to unrequited love. The band again returned for a rowdy “Eat You Alive” before they called it a night with a perfect “Trees.” The Oh Hellos have a solid tour ahead and despite the altitude it was awesome to see them in Fort Collins first. In this crazy era of cellphones and electronic distractions there is not much that makes us be present. This band forces you to be here now in a way that is both inspiring and beautiful. Get out and see them if you are lucky enough to snag a ticket.

The Oh Hellos – Washington’s – 10/2/25

SET I: Rio Grande, Bitter Water, There Beneath, Lapis Lazuli, Cold, Where Is Your Rider, Passerine, Like the Dawn, Exeunt, Boreas, Glowing, New Song*, Hello My Old Heart, Constellations, Thus Always To Tyrants, Dear Wormwood, Zephyrus, This Will End, (Soldier, Poet, King), Dans Macabre, Suspended in Gaffa**, Soap, The Truth Is a Cave, The Valley (Reprise), Rounds

Encore: In Memoriam, Eat You Alive, Trees

*Untitled

**Kate Bush Cover