Good day to all of our TPR faithful 🙂
A music industry foot soldier and cultural expert Lauren recently attended a concert at Smith’s Olde Bar. Here’s an account of her experience recently in her first concert review. If you like her style and would like to see more of what she has to offer you can follow her too at Lauren’s Blog :
This past weekend, I had the pleasure of going to a concert at Smith’s Olde Bar featuring the fabulous Nathan Angelo and Steve Moakler.
Steve Moakler is a singer/songwriter I discovered while living in Nashville. One night back in 2010, a few friends and I went to the famous Bluebird Cafe, and he happened to be there playing an in-the-round show. We were all blown away by his songwriting, his voice, and his incredible way of projecting emotion through his music. The show at Smith’s left me feeling no different. He is such a humble artist, and that comes through in everything that he does. It is clear to see that he truly loves and appreciates what he does. I was, again, blown away by the incredible dynamics of his performance. I would even venture as far as to say that he sounds just as great (if not better) live than he does recorded. That is not an easy thing to accomplish.
I think my favorite part of his set was during a song of his called “This Ain’t Rock and Roll”. He wrote the song about being a Northerner who has fallen in love with the south. There is a line in the song that says, “I cheer on the Pittsburgh Steelers, I don’t watch the SEC.” When this part of the song came along, he just cut out the music, because I think he knew what was coming his way. Some people cheered, but he overwhelmingly received a large crowd of “boo”s. I love that he knew it was coming, accepted it, said “Sorry, guys!” and continued performing. It was a great moment.
Following Steve Moakler was the headliner Nathan Angelo. Nathan is an ATL-based singer/songwriter on Warner/Chapel who has been a touring fool the past few years. He has made his mark around Atlanta, building a solid and dedicated fan base, and has since toured with bands like The Fray, Marc Broussard, and even part of my Southern Ground family, Zac Brown Band! His albums are heavily pop based, but I was pleasantly surprised with the way he sounded live. His shows are infused with so much of a bluesy feel and it’s easy to see his soulful influences, such as the Jackson 5 and Stevie Wonder. In fact, during his show he even covers a Jackson 5 song or two…. In case you are planning to go to one of his shows, I won’t spoil his secrets by telling you which ones he plays, but I will say that they are certainly fan favorites. There was not one person in the building that was standing still. Even the stiff and rugged doorman with hair halfway down his back and a death metal t-shirt was dancing and grooving. It was quite a sight to see. To be honest, the dancing continued for the remainder of the show. He is truly a wonderful performer and knows how to get a crowd going. One of the best moments of his set, aside from the Jackson 5 tribute, was when he brought fellow Atlanta artist Micah Dalton on stage to play a song with him. Then at the very end, he brought Steve Moakler back to the stage to play a song with him as well.
Overall, it was a fantastic show and I don’t think there was a person in the building that night that would have disagreed. Whether you like pop, rock, country, or blues, there was a little something for everyone.
They are still continuing their tour, so check out their schedule and if they are coming to a city near you, I highly recommend that you check it out! You will not be disappointed.
Follow them on Twitter!:
@nathanangelo
@stevemoakler
@Smithsoldebar
http://stevemoakler.com/
http://www.nathanangelo.com/
http://www.smithsoldebar.com/
-TPR