AVTT/PTTN took the audience on a sonic journey at The Rady Shell

On Sunday May 10th a beautiful and one of a kind concert by the Avett Brothers and Mike Patton, performing as AVTT/PTTN, was held at the Rady Shell at Jacobs Park. This show was a collaboration between the Avett Brothers, the North Carolina folk duo, and the well-known singer/songwriter Mike Patton of Faith No More and Mr. Bungle fame. The pairing produced a new album that they are supporting on this tour, AVTT/PTTN, released in November 2025. This album blends the artists’ different musical roots, infusing the Avett Brothers’ traditional singer-songwriter folk with Patton’s experimentation in instrumentation and vocals. The album is almost a cinematic experience, featuring beautiful, lush scoring and interesting lyrics. It’s a transporting sonic journey, which this live concert experience also reflected. The Rady Shell was beautiful as always on this crisp May evening, with boats gently swaying in the distance and the talented band’s smooth folk and country tones just rolling along. The sound and lighting at The Shell are always second to none. On evenings like this with late sunsets and a cool breeze over the water, the experience is simply fantastic.

As Mike Patton addressed the crowd he spoke about The Rady Shell and how classy the venue was for his performance in San Diego this evening. Namechecking the Casbah and many shows there over the years he marveled at the beauty of the Shell’s location and the sheer size of the enormous crowd stretched out on the embarcadero in front of him. As beautiful backlights hit the band and stage lights illuminated the giant Shell structure, the ensemble launched into a show heavy on experimentation and interesting musical ideas. At times, Patton played percussion, electronic pads, chimes, and a gong at his workstation on the expansive stage. He also experimented with his vocal stylings using looping pedals and almost performed a kind of country beatbox for one song. His vocal tenor has much more bass than that of the Avett Brothers, and in some cases he provided a very welcome low-end presence to their vocal harmonies. The Avett Brothers, Scott and Seth, are both just amazingly talented vocalists and instrumentalists in their own right. They played some of their own original hits at this show that were beautiful to hear in person and really helped to keep the crowd engaged. The brothers, however, seemed to relish the concert’s more unique aspects, beaming as they played new tunes and shared the stage with a clear influence: Mike Patton.

The band’s setlist included many songs from the Avett Brothers’ catalogue, songs from their newer collaborative album with Patton, and some fun covers. Highlights included new songs like the opener, “Disappearing” as well as “Dark Night of My Soul” and “Eternal Love“. Avett Bros’ singalong hits like “No Hard Feelings,” “Ain’t No Man,” and the delicate vocals in “Murder in The City” received some of the biggest reactions from the crowd. The large band also hit some heavier notes with covers of Faith No More’s “Digging The Grave” and “Ashes to Ashes,” during which all the musicians onstage really rocked out. Performances of Roger Miller’s “King of the Road,” The Commodores’ “Easy,” Dean Martin’s “My Rifle, My Pony, and Me,” and Sons of the Pioneers’ “Cigarettes, Whiskey, and Wild, Wild Women” featured wonderful arrangements and skill, nodding to all the musical influences swirling on the stage.

AVTT/PTTN was a very unique musical experience, blending the collective works and influences of these two very different artists into a singular concert. The talented band members, amazing instrumentation, staging, and gorgeous venue made the show all the more enjoyable. The concert almost felt like riding along the prairie, listening to country and folk music floating along the trail as you traveled west. The Rady Shell felt like a perfect venue to experience this musical trip, proving a comfortable and excellent host to the Avett Brothers’ and Mike Patton’s musical adventure.