Nathaniel Rateliff and The Night Sweats dazzle smoked-in Kettlehouse crowd

Under the smoke of wildfire, Nathaniel Rateliff and his band, The Night Sweats, performed at the Kettlehouse Amphitheatre on Saturday for their second stop in Montana after playing in Whitefish the night before.

Rateliff’s strikingly soulful tenor was on full display throughout the night, playing alongside band members Joseph Pope on bass, Mark Shusterman on Keyboard, Luke Mossman on guitar, Patrick Meese on drums, Scott Frock on trumpet.

A combination of traditional soul, robust country and blues, Nathaniel Rateliff and the Night Sweats rose to fame in 2015 after the release of their debut self-titled album. Now with over 2 million monthly Spotify listeners, Rateliff has become a trailblazer in the Americana genre.

The 2021 tour kicked off the band's return to live performances after more than 400 days off due to the pandemic. Collectively, Rateliff and The Night Sweats are experts at creating energy through audiences.

From Rateliffs footwork and stage presence to Mark Shusterman’s ability to rally a crowd from the seat of his keyboard, and the stage set up that utilized multiple spotlights to highlight each musician making up the six-piece soul band, the band kept audiences engaged from the beginning to the end of the show.

“Last time we were in Montana the crowds were f*** amazing,” Rateliff joked. “It is smokey as f*** out here but we will cough it out together.”

One of the most emotional highpoints of the night was Rateliff’s performance of “redemption.” Previously performed on SNL earlier this year, the deeply passionate lyrics paired with the unparalleled strength of Rateliff’s voice took a cathartic hold of the audience. It was the deeply moving experience that every concert goer wishes to feel when watching live music.

By the encore, the entire crowd was on their feet as the band finished out the show with top hits “Hey Mama” and pleased chanting crowds with their most popular, “S.O.B.”