I’ve been a fan of The Head and The Heart since their self-titled album released in 2011. Despite that, I still hadn’t had the chance to see the band live until now. When I saw they were playing McMenamin’s Edgefield in Troutdale, Ore., on their Aperture tour, I knew that was my chance. And it was well-worth the 14 year wait.

String lights hung across the stage setting the scene as if we were attending a backyard summer BBQ at a friend’s house. Wilderado, an indie folk band from Tulsa, Oklahoma — though despite their origin, gave very PNW-vibes — opened the evening for The Head and The Heart. Their similar style and cheery attitude complemented The Head and The Heart well and proved to be a good warm-up for the evening to come. By their third song, the crowd was already dancing. While I’d heard of Wilderado before the show, I wasn’t familiar with their music — or so I thought. When they got to their second to last song, “Surefire,” I realized I had heard the song before and found myself, along with many in the crowd, singing along. In the days following their performance I’ve been listening to Wilderado quite a bit, so I think it’s safe to say they won me over as a fan.

The Head and The Heart came on stage shortly before 8 as the summer sun began to set over the hill behind us, casting a golden light over the crowd. Though the crowd numbered in the thousands, the concert felt distinctly intimate. Families with kids made up a large portion in attendance. Friends and lovers danced together throughout the evening and parents hoisted their children on their shoulders for a better view.

The Head and The Heart opened with the upbeat hit “All We Ever Knew” from their 2016 album Signs Of Light, and fans faces lit up in joy from the first note. The red and golden stage lights of the first song complemented colors of the setting sun and reflected the expression of excitement in fans’ eyes. As The Head and The Heart went into their second song of the evening, the dance-y “Missed Connection” from 2019’s Living Mirage, vocalist Matt Gervais immediately jumped off stage and joined the crowd, hugging and high-fiving fans as he danced and jumped his way through the crowd. Fans lucky enough to share the mic with him were ecstatic. It was the perfect way to establish the energy and vibes of the evening early on.

Gervais continued his energy and impeccable crowd work throughout the set as well, coming through the barricade once more later in the set to high five fans at the front. He also made a show of climbing the trussing at the side of the stage, tambourine in hand, and kicking his leg out high above the audience. Vocalist and violinist Charity Rose Thielen’s smile throughout the set was electric and the band praised her for “taking the reigns” in the songwriting process of their new album, Aperture. The connection between the bandmates on stage as well as the fans in the audience was palpable — the evening was an uplifting energy exchange all around.

While the band hails from Seattle, this Portland-area show truly felt like a hometown show, in part because it was the closest headlining appearance to their hometown on this tour — their Seattle stop the next day was supporting The Lumineers on their tour. When it comes to music, I think there is a certain connection between Pacific Northwest bands — we share a similar scene, climate, and culture that unites us. The band alluded to their connection to Portland as well, pointing out that their tour manager is from Portland. They also brought Portland resident Matt Hopper, of Matt Hopper & The Roman Candles, to sing the song written by him, “False Alarm.” The band’s family, friends, and children were in attendance as well and ended up joining the band on stage during the encore for “Lost In My Mind.” Gervais also brought a fan on stage to play guitar with the band for “Lost In My Mind,” so while the fan was playing his guitar parts, he danced and hugged his kids on stage while the kids shook their maracas.

Another thing that made this The Head and The Heart show special is that each night of the tour saw a different setlist, and in my opinion, Portland’s was the best. Of course, popular hits like “Down In The Valley,” “Honeybee,” and their closer “River and Roads,” along with singles like “Arrow” and “Beg, Steal, Borrow” from their new album Aperture were mainstays played every night, but a handful of songs were rotated throughout the tour. Of those songs that weren’t played every night, Portland heard “Finally Free” from Aperture, “Let’s Be Still” from their sophomore album of the same name, and “Library Magic” from Signs Of Life, the latter of which was only played on two other dates thus far on the Aperture tour. The aforementioned “False Alarm” was also a Portland-only feature thanks to the presence of Matt Hopper.

As expected, The Head and The Heart closed with their popular anthem from their debut self-titled album, “Rivers and Roads,” but what I wasn’t prepared for was how deep it would hit in the feels. As the instruments faded out and the final chorus was sung a cappella with the audience, tears welled up in my eyes — 14 years later and I finally got to hear the song that so solidly planted itself in the heart of my late teenage self. Looking around the crowd, I wasn’t the only one with tears in their eyes at the end, either. The Head and The Heart lived up to their name and reached the hearts of many that night in Troutdale. After the show, I heard chatter of fans excited to make the trek up to Seattle to see them for a second night, opening for The Lumineers, and I have to admit I was jealous and longing for more — I would have considered it myself if I hadn’t just finished a week covering four shows. Pacific Northwest fans aching for more The Head and The Heart and a Seattle-headlining date don’t have to wait for long, though, as the band just recently announced a Seattle show in collaboration with the Seattle Symphony in February 2026 and I’ve already got my calendar marked for that.

Complete The Head and The Heart Setlist for Troutdale, 8/15/25:

1. All We Ever Knew
2. Missed Connection
3. Fire Escape
4. Another Story
5. Arrow
6. Let’s Be Still
7. Honeybee
8. After The Setting Sun
9. Cats and Dogs
10. Coeur D’Alene
11. Beg, Steal, Borrow
12. Jubilee
13. Ghosts
14. Finally Free
15. Virginia (Wind In The Night)
16. False Alarm (with Matt Hopper on vocals)
17. Shake
18. Down In The Valley
19. Aperture

Encore:

20. Library Magic
21. Lost In My Mind
22. Rivers and Roads

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