Passenger review: Brisbane Riverstage, January 20, 2017
Going into this concert I had two questions. Will my stock Nikon lens manage to take any half-decent photos? And who in their right mind would pay $90-$100 to see an artist who peaked when people still thought a Mayan calendar could reliably predict the end of times?
Well, the answers are "yeah, kind of" and "lots", apparently.
Brisbane's Riverstage was packed for Passenger, and the engaging songwriter brought plenty of energy on a warm summer's night.
Photo: Jim MaloRiverstage was already packed by the time the supporting act, the Paper Kites, hit the stage. Their folky brand of indie rock suits Passenger's latest sound well and enough of their fans were present that their popular songs sent ripples of enthusiasm through the crowd.
But not enough enthusiasm for the Kites. "I feel like I'm playing at the carols," frontman Sam Bently joked. A cover of Bruce Springsteen's I'm on Fire proved to be a crowd-pleaser. A wailing harmonica sounded beautiful next to the breathy female vocals.
Breaks between songs were filled by funny, honest and engaging stories.
Photo: Jim MaloAnd by the way, my cynicism was unfounded. Passenger is a brilliant live artist. He brought energy to the stage that surpasses some of his contemporaries who are more suited to the studio. Looking at you Vance Joy, Milky Chance.
"I only really have one famous song," Michael Rosenberg said. My thoughts exactly. But for the diehards, that's not true at all. Every second song got an increasingly enthusiastic cheer from the crowd and for the rest, he managed to work the punters into a lather by the last few bars.
Colour me surprised, and dead wrong. Despite a largely same-y and critically underperforming 2016 album, Passenger was a delight to watch. His ability to switch from yelling a shout-out to his Brisbane fans to his trademark, crooning vocals was impressive. A Sounds of Silence cover was well done, silencing a generally excitable crowd.
Another standout was a ranting song about all the things Rosenberg hates. It was humorous, punctuated with jokes that never failed to get a laugh.
Passenger was a delight to watch.
Photo: Jim MaloBreaks between songs were filled by funny, honest and engaging stories about struggling to get big. Showmanship is Rosenberg's biggest strength. I was sold way before he got to his "one famous song", Let Her Go.
I still think 90 bucks is a bit steep though. And to the girl crying in the smoker's, I hope it works out with you and Trey.
Showmanship is Rosenberg's biggest strength.
Photo: Jim Malo
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