The Jeff Beckham Weblog

The Reivers were one of Austin’s top bands in the mid-80s, packing clubs and turning out gorgeous songs. Last weekend, they played together for the first time in 16 years with a pair of special reunion shows.

And it was a reunion in the best sense of the word: happy, nostalgic, and heartfelt. Opening with “Ragamuffin Man” and gaining confidence with each song, the band cruised through their catalog, with the crowd singing along loud enough to smooth over any barely perceptible rough spots.

The ending of each show accurately captured the spirit of each night. The energy of Saturday’s crowd was a bit buzzier, with notables like Veronica Mars creator Rob Thomas, No Depression editor Peter Blackstock, and local weatherman Mark Murray dotting the crowd. Thomas himself was front row center, pogoing away as the Reivers closed the final encore with a raucous cover of Thin Lizzy’s “Cowboy Song”.

Many Saturday attendees returned the following night, and the crowd vibe took on more of a low-key air. Croslin dedicated the set’s second song, “Electra”, to his young daughter who was in attendance, while other Reivers progeny could be found lingering on the side of the stage or helping the band set up equipment. As the band strummed to the end of “Translate Slowly” to end the evening, the reunion shows faded to a close with warmth and appreciation.

Did they capture the spirit of Austin in the mid-1980s? Sometimes they did. If you closed your eyes and listened to the harmonies on “Saturday” or “Things Don’t Change”, you could easily imagine yourself back at the Continental Club. But back in the real world, things do change — you get older, wiser, grayer — and the Reivers proved there’s honor in that.

MORE: Journal of a Working Mom has posted her impressions, and my Flickr set is here.