Sofar #190: Denton, October 13th 2012
I walked into the most recent Sofar DFW performance, located in Denton, Texas, expecting a very special afternoon. The amount of talent in the North Texas area is staggering, and the Sofar crew outdid themselves this time around. The location was perfect: the artists were set up in front of floor-to-ceiling windows looking out onto a beautifully landscaped backyard on a blustery October afternoon, and this provided the perfect backdrop for these intimate, acoustic performances.
The first group to perform was an adorable husband-and-wife duo from Dallas called The Ones You Loved. (Doesn’t Tyler kind of remind you of Jim Sturgess?) Unfortunately, Tyler and Camille couldn’t stay long, due to a CD-release party/concert, but they made a big impact in a small amount of time. Tyler’s song-writing skills were most impressive, and when his wife joined him, they had a really special chemistry together. Their gratitude for the audience and the opportunity was a reminder that the artist/audience relationship is a special and symbiotic one.
http://soundcloud.com/sofarsounds/sets/the-ones-you-loved-sofar/
New York-based artist Julia Sinclair is a tiny little thing who came out and completely owned all of us with her completely adorable personality and huge voice. She performed a few original songs, as well as a pretty amazing cover of Justin Timberlake’s “My Love,” which was a crowd favorite. She has an amazing, quirky quality, like Regina Spektor, but amazing pipes a la Brandi Carlile.
http://soundcloud.com/sofarsounds/sets/julia-sinclair-sofar-sounds/
She was followed by Marcus Foster, an absolutely incredible performer from London. I knew this guy was going to blow my mind within the first 8 bars. He’s got this incredible voice that reminded me of Glen Hansard (pre-Swell Season), Ray LaMontagne (mostly in his ballads…my favorite of which was “Solid Ground,” a track from his “The Last House” EP, released this week!) and a little Marcus Mumford—but rest assured that Marcus Foster’s sound is all his own!
Not only is Marcus incredibly talented, but he’s got a charming, self-deprecating sense of humor that brought everyone into the moment with him (he kept apologizing for being nervous/tired, which certainly didn’t show in his performances!). I chatted with Marcus a bit after the show, and was excited to hear that he will be back in the US touring sooner rather than later.
http://soundcloud.com/sofarsounds/sets/marcus-foster-sofar-sounds/
Next up was Denton’s own Seryn.
The thing about Seryn, for me, is that they are music ninjas and will stealthily find their way into your brain. A friend shared them with me months ago, and I incorporated them into my iTunes shuffle. One day, I found myself skipping around to find their songs intentionally. Then I just sat and listened to the whole thing while working and, well, I wasn’t working. I was sitting and staring off into space listening to the intricately layered instrumentation and vocals.
Seryn became my “happy-place” music.
Any time I feel any anxiety or stress, or if I can’t turn my brain off and fall asleep, I put on Seryn. You don’t just listen to their music—you experience it. This is especially true in a live setting. When they played in that living room on Saturday, they created a palpable energy that I’m confident every person in the room felt.
http://soundcloud.com/sofarsounds/sets/seryn-sofar-sounds-dallas/
I expected a special afternoon, and my expectations were not only met but exceeded. The weather, the location, the environment (complete with a Sofar jack-o-lantern) and, of course, the music, all worked together to perfectly kick off the next season of Sofar music.
Words: Mandy Rausch (from Dallas)
Pictures: Brian Hamm (from Dallas)