Category: Concert Reviews

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Concert Reviews

Jamie Leonhart Keeps Standing Room Only Crowd Singing

Rockwood Music Hall was packed Thursday night for Jamie Leonhart‘s set while the crowd only seemed to get larger as the night progressed. Performing songs off her latest release, The Truth About Suffering as well as some covers, Leonhart had all in attendance laughing along with her onstage banter and occasionally forgotten lyrics.

With husband Michael Leonhart playing piano throughout the night, Jamie blamed her lyric mishaps to being pregnant, later telling the room, “This is the first outing for the Leonhart trio at Rockwood.”

I first witnessed Leonhart live back in December when I covered the “A Holiday Benefit” concert. Of her performance, I wrote: “Leonhart’s vocals are heavenly as she blends jazz, pop and soul together, making for a truly impressive set. Comparisons to Ella Fitzgerald and Aretha Franklin can be heard throughout Leonhart’s classically elegant tunes.”

After seeing her nearly hour set Thursday night, my previous thoughts haven’t changed. If you get a chance to see her perform, definitely jump on it!

Beginning the night with “Hush,” Michael Leonhart‘s light piano accompaniment blended perfectly with Jamie’s beautifully soft vocals. Mid-song an impeccably fitting piano interlude only strengthened the performance.

Next song of the evening was “Who Says Words,” another moving track from The Truth About Suffering with lyrics from a poem by Persian poet Rumi. About the song, Leonhart has said, “‘Who Says Words,’ is kind of a meditation about noticing your own ‘bad’ behavior but not doing anything to change it. There’s a passive struggle in it that I am very attracted to. I set the poem to a melody, and then sat down with Michael and constructed all the chord changes around it.”

The rest of the night involved strong covers of some of Leonhart’s favorite songs including, “Lucky To Be Me” originally written by Leonard Bernstein and performed by Blossom Dearie. Truly a stand-up number, I could picture myself at a jazz club while listening to Leonhart’s performance. With soft crescendos and her own take on older songs, Leonhart made each song her own, always with refreshingly unique style.

Deidre Rodman accompanied a few songs on vocals as well as melodica (a musical keyboard played by blowing air through a mouthpiece in the side of the instrument) — truly a sight to see. With many solid melodica interludes, Rodman wowed the crowd with her expertise on the instrument.

Song favorite of the night was definitely “Control Freak,” where many — if not all — in attendance sang along word for word during the chorus. With catchy lyrics, “I am a control freak/I want everything to be neat/And put it all in little boxes/I never will enjoy surprises/I just want control,” Leonhart had the song stuck in my head long after it the show was over.

You can download “Control Freak” here.

For more on each artist, be sure to visit their Web sites for upcoming concerts and music.

Jamie Leonhart

Michael Leonhart

Deidre Rodman

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Concert Reviews

PT Walkley Impresses at Album Release Show

On the night of his album release, PT Walkley entertained a packed Blender Theater audience by playing his debut album Mr. Macy Wakes Alone track by track in its entirety. With a full band – at times reminiscent of an orchestral arrangement — Walkley conducted the band with the simple nodding of his head. From backup singers to string arrangement, Walkley’s showcase was one not to be missed.

Perhaps the most versatile musician I’ve seen in concert, Walkley’s voice changed drastically from song to song. One example is the mere difference from second song “Why,” where he exercised a softer, more angelic voice complete with fitting string and horn accompaniment, and then made the shift to the deeper and edgier track “No One Needs To Know” — and that was just in the first 10 minutes of his set.

What makes Walkley stand out from other up-and-coming musicians is the content of his album. He has said in interviews that he hopes to bring back cover-to-cover listening and seemingly does so, as the characters and themes on each track intermingle throughout Mr. Macy Wakes Alone. His publicity is doing pretty well, especially after being hand picked by Coldplay frontman Chris Martin to open their Madison Square Garden show.

Not your average singer-songwriter, Walkley has also composed music for several Ed Burns films as well as had his music placed in numerous commercials including MasterCard and GE. With so much varied musical exposure, his diversity in concert no longer seems all that surprising, but continues to impress concertgoers as heard from the screams and applause after each song’s end.

With string, horn, percussion and continuous guitar and backup vocals, Walkley’s set did not disappoint. Slower ballad “Coming Over” showcased his deep and trance-like vocals. With the complement of a harp, the concertgoer had the relaxed vibe of being on a tropical island, easily picturing palm trees swaying in the background. Always quick to change the mood from song to song, next track was energetic “The Lucky Ones.” The song featured Walkley’s wife Michelle on infectious backing vocals. Their voices blended beautifully together, and the light musical accompaniment fit well, never overpowering the song’s main vocals and narration.

While “Evolution” sounded almost planetary at times, “Calvin the Coroner” had a carnival-esque feel to it. With a faster piano introduction and crescendo of Walkley’s vocals at the end of each line, the song is quirky with lyrics, “When Calvin was a boy there was a lot to comprehend/A high imagination but he never had a friend/His father bought the funeral parlor just around the bend from the Macy’s/He helped around the basement and he swore he’d never tell/He couldn’t stand the bodies but he grew to like the smell/Formaldehyde and suicide were words that came too well to a young boy.”

Before playing upbeat track, “Audrey Macy” Walkley introduced the song by saying, “This song is about a murder and a girl named Audrey Macy.” A captivating tale of a trust fund girl who is never satisfied, she eventually kills her father to inherit money he already has spent, thus forcing her to work the rest of her life. Yet another example of Walkley’s versatility, with fitting electric guitar and percussion, the music only assisted him to tell the story effectively.

With rave album reviews and having recently opened for Coldplay, PT Walkley has definitely been making a name for himself. Setting the bar well beyond most musicians these days, Walkley begs the listener to pay attention to every detail of his performance and album as the recurring themes and characters only make sense when listening cover to cover. Definitely an ambitious musician, Walkley is breaking the mold of the music industry as we know it today, and it would behoove every music lover to give him a listen.

You can read this review, originally posted on Filter here. For more on PT Walkley, be sure to visit his MySpace.

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Concert Reviews

Joshua Radin Pours His Heart Out in New York

Taking the stage to a swarm of screaming female fans, Joshua Radin played to a packed crowd at Webster Hall last Friday. Radin’s performance was nothing short of surprises as fellow singer-songwriters Ingrid Michaelson and Dar Williams accompanied him on two songs throughout the night. Playing nearly an hour set, fans left the venue with the hopes of seeing Radin again soon as he told the crowd he moved back to New York just four days prior.

“Hello New York! My name is Joshua Radin,” he told concertgoers after first song, “Free Of Me,” as if they didn’t already know his name. “It’s New York City and you never know what can happen,” he continued before Ingrid Michaelson took the stage to assist on “Sky.” Their voices blended beautifully together and the crowd was energized from the moment Michaelson entered the stage, drowning out the rest of Radin’s introduction.

While he has referred to his music’s genre as whisper rock, one might imagine it difficult to hear his soft voice at a concert venue, however this was not the case. In fact, it was quite the opposite. Radin’s vocals remained hushed and undeniably airy at times, but the audience hung on to every lyric sung during his set. Incredulously, on numbers such as “Winter” the room was so silent you could literally (please forgive the cliche) hear a pin drop. He told fans that “Winter” was the first song he had ever written while walking around New York nearly four years ago. Taking the stage alone on acoustic guitar the crowd gave Radin their complete attention as he ended the song to screams.

Radin often introduced each song with the story behind it. One such song was inspired by Bob Dylan’s autobiography. Radin said the one thing that stuck out from the book was advice Dylan was given when moving to New York and how he should lose all his envy and fear. “I wrote a song about it because I had so much envy and so much fear and the song is called, ‘No Envy, No Fear’.” The light percussion, guitar and string features blended impeccably well with Radin’s vocals right up to the fade out of the song.

Many of his songs are detailed accounts of former relationships or fantasies. Take “Vegetable Car,” a song he told the crowd was written about a girl he had never met while “One of Those Days” is a heartbreaker that surely melted most girls’ hearts in the room. Having trouble getting over a former girlfriend that used to tour with him, the lyrics include “Now a year has passed/Alone I stay inside and I await the rain/To wash away your face so I don’t have to hide/The sight of you is painful/So I crawl underneath my blanket where I can hide away/I know I can’t take it anymore/’Cause I see now it’s just one of those days.”

“I have two ex-girlfriends and two records. This one is about the second,” Radin said before introducing “You Got Growin’ Up To Do,” telling the audience that the song is about meeting the right person at the wrong time. Ecstatic to have one of his favorite singers, Patty Griffin, accompany him on the track on his album, Radin described it as “the coolest thing ever.” Singer Dar Williams then took the stage filling in for Griffin’s vocals.

The rest of the night showcased songs from Radin’s latest release, Simple Times as well as his previous album. Ending with a cover of his favorite song ever written and recorded, Sam Cooke’s soulful “Bring It On Home To Me,” Radin promised fans he’ll be back soon since New York is now his home. From the crowd’s response, I think they’ll be eagerly waiting.

If you haven’t yet, be sure to visit Joshua Radin on MySpace and catch a show when he’s in town! To listen to a stream of single, “I’d Rather Be With You” click here.

Photo credit: Wendy Hu

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Concert Reviews

Anya Marina Heats Things Up At Record Release

Playing nearly an hour set last Tuesday, California-based singer-songwriter Anya Marina showcased songs from her newly released album, Slow & Steady Seduction: Phase II. Receiving rave reviews from fans and critics alike, Marina’s New York headline performance at Mercury Lounge demonstrated just what the fuss is all about, proving that the buzz is only beginning.

Having toured with fellow San Diego native Jason Mraz last year, it is clear what makes Marina so distinct — her sultry and seductively mousy vocals. With her quirky, yet intriguing stories she didn’t beg for the audience’s attention, they gave themselves to her wholeheartedly.

Taking the stage solo playing “Not a Through Street” on acoustic guitar, Marina’s softer vocals fit the ballad well. One song later the band joined her onstage to which she enthusiastically told the audience, “Let’s hear it for our new President!” A record release and headline show on inauguration day couldn’t have been a better way to celebrate.

“I just had a record come out today. I’m so excited!” she exclaimed to the packed room. “Come out after the show and buy 17 for your friends and we’ll get acquainted,” she joked. The rest of the night was filled with tracks from Slow & Steady Seduction: Phase II and Marina’s never ending comical onstage banter (ie. “It was weird growing up Russian. Did you have people call you Commie and throw things at you?”)

Stand-out track, “Waters of March (Aguas de Marco)” was sung in Portuguese and English, which Marina dedicated to a friend in the audience. With stellar vocals and strong electric guitar accompaniment, the song’s Latin groove switched gears a bit as Marina continued to liven up the audience by jumping around the stage while singing.

Marina’s dancing wasn’t the only thing that affixed concertgoers’ attention. Catchy “Afterparty at Jimmy’s” grabbed the listener’s attention with intriguing lyrics, “So you say you got a band?/Three parts Kinks, one part the Jam/You got soul on stage, boy/How ’bout soul in the sack, huh?” The electric guitar feature throughout the song only complimented the edginess of the song.

Ending the night with hit single “Move You(SSSPII)” (yes, you’ve heard it on “Grey’s Anatomy”) Marina exclaimed, “This is a dream come true! Thanks for being here and celebrating 1/20/09 with me.” I have a feeling this is only the beginning for Anya Marina.

For more on Anya, be sure to check out her MySpace and watch her video for “Move You” below!

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AbDNJo3iLSs]

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Concert Reviews

Lights Resolve Tear Up Sold-Out Highline Ballroom

Not every band can engage a room full of concertgoers successfully, but Lights Resolve has learned to do so, and quite effectively. Rather than write another show review, I’ll let Wendy’s pictures do the talking. (But if you REALLY want to read a review of what the LR guys are like in concert, you can check out my MTV post from last summer here.)

I made it to the LR show just in time to see Liam and Me and TV/TV perform and they’re definitely fun bands to be on the lookout for. If you need some entertaining reading, peruse Liam and Me’s hilarious advice column on their blog here. And, if you’re in the mood for some energetic, foot-stomping (did I really just write that?) music, be sure to give TV/TV’s songs “Indie Rock Girl” and “Let It Go” a listen on MySpace.







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Concert Reviews Features

Fall Out Boy Lead Washington Square Park in Sing-Along

For those who cut class or took a break studying for final exams to see Fall Out Boy perform at Washington Square Park in New York today, many were disappointed. Gracing fans with their presence for oh, just about 10 minutes, the band conducted a sing-along to fan favorite, “Grand Theft Autumn/Where Is Your Boy.”

Bassist Pete Wentz told the crowd, “We want to apologize to you guys. We’re not allowed to play right now any music at all. But we figured that Patrick could sing something right here and we can all sing along instead.”

According to a MTV News report, since the band didn’t obtain a permit to perform in the park, if they so much as picked up an instrument they would be put in jail. Not the most exciting place to be on the day before your album release. While some fans in the crowd were confused about the situation, most clapped along and sang the song word for word as members of Fall Out Boy played air guitar.

After the nearly two-minute rendition, fans screamed for one more song as Wentz told the crowd, “If we’re doing anything else we’re getting arrested right now.” Not a complete loss, the band walked around shaking hands and giving out copies of their upcoming release, Folie à Deux as Wentz showed fans pictures of his newborn from his phone, saying, “How handsome is he?”

Watch below for Fall Out Boy’s performance in Washington Square Park, courtesy of MTV and to learn more of the details behind the impromptu concert, read MTV rock editor James Montgomery’s take on it here.

MTV Shows

Don’t forget to pick up a copy of their new album in stores Dec. 16. And be sure to check out Amazon’s 12 Days of Christmas promotion, which features a sale on Fall Out Boy MP3 albums, plus a limited edition, exclusive version of the band’s new album, Folie à Deux. Limited to 1,000 copies worldwide, the packaging is made from 100% recycled materials, including a seeded envelope that will grow flowers when planted. Definitely not your typical album packaging. Click here for more info. on this promotion as 100 of those albums will be signed by Pete Wentz.

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Concert Reviews

Army of Me Frontman Opens Up at Acoustic New York Set

Taking the stage solo, Army of Me frontman Vince Scheuerman played to a standing room only crowd Wednesday night at the Living Room.

For me, life came full circle as I realized that it was just around this time last year that I first met Vince for Army of Me’s show at Union Hall in Brooklyn. My third “official” band interview for the blog, I remember walking away in awe of the pure honesty and amount that he revealed himself to me, a mere music journalist. Then I was struck with the immediate, “I HAVE to do this for the rest of my life” realization.

A few months later I was fortunate enough to go on tour with the band during the “Get a Life” tour with The Used, Straylight Run, Street Drum Corps and Lights Resolve — all great bands you should definitely check out if you haven’t yet. I spent two days touring with Army of Me; interviewing the guys and getting a feel for the real touring lifestyle. Let me tell you, it’s not as glamorous as it may seem.

Wednesday night at the Living Room, Vince reminded me of why small venues are my favorite. The intimacy. The onstage banter. The feeling that you’re having a conversation with the musician onstage.

Performing songs from Army of Me’s amazing debut album, Citizen (pick it up on iTunes, easily my most listened to album of the year) as well as a few new songs, Vince showed the audience his true colors as he told many of the stories behind his songs. Take “Perfect,” a solid song played on acoustic guitar of which he said was written “at the end of a six-year relationship where I realized I was the worst boyfriend ever and was so wrapped up with myself.” With light guitar picking, never overpowering the emotion of the song, Vince had the room paying attention to every lyric sung.

Having been off tour for a few months, Vince told the audience he’s been at home writing and debuted a few new numbers. Some still untitled, he told the room his tentative song titles throughout the night. Not a huge deviation from his debut album, the newer songs sounded a bit more personal and fit the acoustic, intimate atmosphere of the venue extremely well.

Heading over to the piano, he told the crowd, “If I had my way, I’d play piano 80% of the time and guitar 20% of the time. But, I’m not good at piano,” which seemingly presents a problem in that wish. Despite his lack of confidence in his piano playing, piano based “Better Run” continues to be my favorite song of theirs played live. Slowing down the night, you can feel the emotion throughout the lyrics as Vince sings, “If you find that your life would be better off without me/If you’re running full speed and it feels good to be free/If you know it in your soul, though it’s hard to let it go/You better run, you better run.”

Another song from Citizen, “2 into 1” he asked, “If you love someone, is there anything you can’t forgive?” before telling the crowd, “That’s the idea of this song.” The rest of the night included more of a behind-the-scenes look at each song performed as well as a few personalized dedications to long-time fans in the crowd.

As the year draws to a close, Wednesday night’s set reminded me of why I began this blog just over a year ago. Showcasing musicians like Vince that I probably would never have stumbled upon years ago and seeing their progress as a band over the years is so inspiring. I’m excited to see where Vince and the rest of the guys from Army of Me will be up to in the next few years!

Vince will be playing another acoustic set in Arlington, Virginia this Thursday, so if you’re in the area be sure to catch it! For more on Army of Me and future tour dates, check out their MySpace. And, if you haven’t read my interview with Vince from last year yet, click here.

Photo courtesy of Wendy Hu.

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Benefit Concert Reviews

A Holiday Benefit Concert Recap

The Canal Room was packed last night for the second annual “A Holiday Benefit” concert series. Featuring 13 New York performers playing over 30 songs, both original tracks as well as their own holiday favorites, the album release benefit show surely got concertgoers into the holiday spirit.

Sponsored by Rebel Spirit Music, all proceeds raised from the album and silent auction during the night will be donated to 826NYC, a nonprofit organization dedicated to supporting students ages 6-18 with their creative and expository writing skills, and to helping teachers inspire their students to write. With the mission to provide workshops and tutor students with their creative writing skills, being a writer myself, I couldn’t imagine a better way to spend my money this holiday season.

Most artists played between two and three songs during their set. Additionally, many of the individual sets drew former acts back to the stage to help out with numerous holiday classics. Not your typical show, you could tell that every musician truly loved being onstage and the community between each performer was evident throughout the night as each introduced every member onstage, whether it was from their band or previous performers.

Derek James started out the night with an incredibly fun and energetic set. He’s been called “a bluesy, ballsy Buddy Holly for the iPod generation” and I can see why. Beginning with his favorite Christmas song, the Hawaiian “Mele Kalikimaka,” complete with ukulele, James’ performance was just a glimmer of the great night ahead. A bit reminiscent to a mix of Jason Mraz’s quirky lyrics and Tyler Hilton’s vocals, James is definitely an artist to watch as his sultry vocals and catchy lyrics are sure to be stuck in your head long after the last word is sung. Ending his set with “What’s That Sound,” a memorable track with a kazoo feature, James had his band dancing and swaying along throughout the song, enticing the audience to do the same.

Jamie Leonhart took the stage next as Benjamin Wagner, host and creator of the annual concert series, introduced her as “one of the finest voices I know and one of the finest people I know.” Leonhart’s vocals are heavenly as she blends jazz, pop and soul together, making for a truly impressive set. Playing three songs off her debut album, The Truth About Suffering, Leonhart wowed the crowd. Comparisons to Ella Fitzgerald and Aretha Franklin can be heard throughout Leonhart’s classically elegant tunes. (You can listen to some of her MP3’s here to see what I’m talking about.)

Another solid vocalist, Kelley McRae played two of her more heartfelt songs. Her set began with moving number, “Johnny Cash” having concertgoers feel the emotion of the song as she sang each word while softly strumming her guitar.

Brent Shuttleworth has one of those familiar voices, as if I’ve heard his song in a movie or popular television show and for him; I think that’s a good thing. My favorite song of the moment is his ballad, “When I Reach California.” As he repeats the chorus, “You will never be good/Never be good for me/Wake me when I reach California” he captures the listener’s attention wholeheartedly. His rich vocals and deep lyrics have the listener coming back for more. Title track off his debut album, Witness, showcase the honesty and sincerity throughout Shuttleworth’s lyrics. Singing, “When I’m broken and I’m fading/I need a witness/When I’m beaten and I’m bleeding/Love give me a witness” you can’t help but want to be there for him. Another strong set, I’m extremely interested to see where Shuttleworth will be in a few years.

Rosi Golan, Deena Goodman and Blue Fringe all played one song each as well as collaborated on Hanukah song “Maoz Tzur.” Beforehand, Golan played “Think of Me,” an airy ballad that vaguely hints to Sheryl Crow’s early days (think “Soak Up the Sun” era). An angelic voice to listen to, Golan contributed to many of the artist’s sets throughout the night as did Goodman and Blue Fringe frontman Dov Rosenblatt.

Goodman and Wagner rotated introducing each band throughout the night as well as informed audience members the purpose of the concert — donating album pro
ceeds to the kids of 826NYC. “I know times are tough,” Wagner said, “but times are tough if you’re an eight-year-old kid too.”

The remainder of the night presented energetic sets from Ian Axel, (having a striking resemblance to Ben Folds down to the lively keyboard playing and glasses — see two photos above) Casey Shea (an incredible singer, easily rocking the Canal Room throughout his set) and Chris Abad (a contender to most energetic performer).

Before playing one note, Shea told the crowd, “[Tonight] is for a good cause. I’m happy to be a part of it.” In fact, he was so happy to be a part of the cause that he wrote “A Very Merry Christmas” specifically for the event. He’s had rave reviews from MTVNews.com: “Casey’s stage persona is equal parts James Brown, Elvis Presley, and Bono” as well as NME: “Casey Shea is an artist operating at the very top of his game and, by comprising the very best elements of Lennon, Davies and Stills, has captured a sound long since past” and I couldn’t agree more. The way he got the crowd dancing throughout his set is proof in itself that as a musician, Shea is here to stay.

A toss up for most lively performer of the night is a tie between Abad and Bryan Dunn. Another lively act, Abad had everyone on the floor around me dancing to his astounding rendition of Wham!’s signature hit “Last Christmas.” While Abad had the dancers’ attention, Dunn made every guitar player proud as he rocked his guitar harder than I’ve seen any guitarist in concert do before, all while playing his holiday song of the night, “Father Christmas.”

Last up before each singer reunited onstage for “Happy Xmas (War Is Over)” was host Wagner. Extremely animated, jumping up and down with his band before he even started his set, Wagner was truly in his element Monday night. Leonhart joined him onstage for their rendition of “Blue Christmas,” definitely an enjoyable song with their voices blending perfectly together.

With the holidays in full swing, Monday night was a stellar night of music at the Canal Room. Every artist that graced the stage last night impressed and brought his or her own unique flavor. Lucky for New Yorkers, many of these musicians continuously play shows throughout the city so definitely check out their MySpace’s and catch a show when they’re in town! And, be sure to purchase the CD here or order it on iTunes where all the proceeds go to 826NYC.

Photo credit: Benjamin Wagner. For more photos of last night click here.

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Concert Reviews

The Many Sides of the All-American Rejects

Review and photos by Wendy Hu

After seeing the Rejects in concert a couple of times over the past few years, I wasn’t sure what to expect with their sold-out show at Irving Plaza last Tuesday. If the night was any testament to their ability as musicians, writers and performers, their new album, When The World Comes Down, slated for a December 16 release, is definitely going to be more than just another catchy pop-rock album. It was a night of entertaining, energetic rock with a large dose of honesty, appreciation for the crowd, sexual innuendos, and guitar picks being thrown into the audience after nearly every song.

The set list flowed, but in an eccentric and unexpected way, largely due to the many sides of lead singer Tyson Ritter. He got the crowd dancing from the get-go with their two big pop-centric hits, “Swing, Swing” and “Dirty Little Secret.” Transitioning into their newest single, “Gives You Hell,” it felt like Ritter was putting on a play with his animated facial expressions and constant audience interaction. One minute sincerely frowning while reaching into the crowd singing “Truth be told, I miss you,” then quickly changing into a sinister smile and bug eyes while flicking his middle finger singing, “Truth be told I’m lying.”

A more serious side came out when Ritter started talking about the state of the world, “Shit can all fall apart, but it doesn’t matter if you’ve got someone next to you,” which led to “Mona Lisa,” another track off their upcoming release.

The entire night Ritter addressed his appreciation to New York fans: “We missed you so much, New York! You’ve been with us forever; we’re not just a flavor of the week…You care about the All-American Rejects,” Ritter said. “I haven’t been this happy for two months. I’m going to sing something special for you, New York City,” before he slowed the night down with an acoustic version of “It Ends Tonight.” Disco ball reflections flickered throughout the room as the audience sang along word for word while Ritter conducted them. There was definitely a moment there. It was too perfect, so of course, the next song had to be, “I Wanna Touch You,” another one from the new album.

The hour-long set ended with “Move Along,” which again had the crowd energized, dancing and jumping around. The Rejects ran off the stage, but everyone knew there would be an encore. I wasn’t sure what song they would play since all the hits seemed to have been played already. After the chants died down, AAR quickly ran back onstage as Ritter quieted the room. He then told the story of how three-and-a-half years ago he had a CD with two songs; one of them being the now infamous hit “Move Along,” which he gave to two guys from their record label to listen to. He played it for them and one said, “You did it, kid. This is the song.”

Sometime after, this same friend from the label passed away. Ritter said for the new album, he was striving to write something special, something more than just pop music for his friend. Closing the night with “Believe,” Ritter said he really believed his friend was listening “up there.”


See, I knew it would be a fun head-boppin’, teenage-girls-screaming kind of a night, but I’m happy to have been surprised and to have also seen another side of the Rejects, much more than just another pop-rock band.

Watch the All-American Rejects’ performance of “Believe” from the show below.

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EZKSZ34sKtA]

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Concert Reviews

Folk-Rocker Brett Dennen Ends Acoustic Tour with Sold-Out New York Performance

Taking the stage barefoot, Brett Dennen had the standing-room only crowd dancing along to his folk and Afrobeat inspired music Tuesday night. Playing a nearly two-hour set at the Canal Room, Dennen showcased his remarkable guitar picking and quirky onstage antics, at times acting as a puppeteer while slowly scatting throughout various interludes in his songs — truly a sight to see.

The New York gig was the last of Dennen’s intimate acoustic tour supporting his latest release, Hope for the Hopeless. Coincidentally, Tuesday was homecoming for him as the Canal Room was the first venue he ever played in New York and it was evident he was glad to be back. And, lucky for New Yorkers, Dennen switched up the night between full band and acoustic sets. “Most of the tour has been an acoustic tour, but New York is important so we thought we’d do a couple songs like they’re on the album,” Dennen told the screaming crowd after his first five full-band songs.

Featuring a mix of older fan favorites from his previous albums, including “Ain’t No Reason” and “She’s Mine” as well as his most recent single “Make You Crazy,” Dennen gave each song character, more than listening to his albums ever could. His lively and welcoming stage presence gave the show more intimacy as he told the crowd, “We need to vibe it out a little more” as the lights dimmed. “If you don’t talk for a while we’ll all be meditating our brains and minds and hearts and we’ll all be in the same place,” Dennen said. “If you want, you can sing along. But don’t sing louder than me because I get insecure.”

While every songwriter has a story behind his song, the tales behind Dennen’s music invoke much depth and emotion. One such example is “Make You Crazy” as it was inspired at an awards ceremony for people in the film industry writing about mental illnesses. After his performance at the awards ceremony, Dennen says he was sitting in the audience while a talk was being given about “the pressures in society and how that alone is enough to make people insane. Not to mention the overwhelming stresses that are out there that have an actual physical effect on people. So I jotted that into my phone and thought about it and those were some ideas from it.”

The mini 12-date tour prefaces a larger tour in early 2009. Of his intimate tour, Dennen says, “It’s just something that, as the bigger my shows get and the farther that I need to travel and grow, I always want to be able to come back to the intimate setting. When you take away all of the production of the band and everything, you still have these quality songs that can come across to more of a folk music setting.”

Poignant ballads like “Heaven” showcase Dennen’s lyrical forte. Of “Heaven” he said, “I’m not specifically writing about the afterlife or people who believe in heaven. I’m writing about this idea that it doesn’t matter how people believe or how sinful we are on earth, as long as we believe in this idea of heaven or this dream — whatever you want to call it — that is going to save us in the end.” He continued, “I’m posing questions about it because I see a lot of contradiction between people and their actions and their morals.”

Overall, the night was a solid mix of music. Whether it was Dennen moving his hips in movement to his guitar playing onstage or the crowd dancing energetically during the last song of his night, “Blessed,” all in attendance had fun and will surely be back to see his next tour stop in New York.

Watch the video below of Brett playing “Blessed” on a previous tour date to get more of a feel of his performance.

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TCuvhPryWy4]

Check out Brett’s Web site for all his latest information and updates on his upcoming tour!