Brett Dennen, Tom Cooney @ TheTroubadour, Brisbane(09/09/2008)

Wed 10th Sep, 2008 in Gig Reviews

It was a cruisy night of bare guitar and comforting vocals at The Troubador.

Tom Cooney started the evening with such beautiful melancholy. His angelic, unassuming voice captured the audience in a trance. Singing songs mostly from his soon-to-be-released second album, his sincerity and intelligent lyricism held people captive. Although there was limited chatter with the audience, Cooney seemed extremely comfortable onstage. A brief jaunt off stage to collect a capo didn’t spoil the performance mood. The crowd responded with warmth and showed their appreciation with considerable applause.

Hailing from Oakdale, California, Brett Dennen was the headline for the night and followed with brilliance. His personable interactions with the crowd made the room feel like our own lounge rooms. He was so charming and lovely, making jokes about being nervous and liking this city. This performance made people feel close to Brett (see, I even feel I can call him Brett, not Dennen), no diva qualities here. He wore his heart on his sleeve, singing love ballades and romantic lullabies that seemed to strike a cord with everyone in the room. A beautiful and captivating voice, songs had elements of reggae, blues, soul and folk – a tremendous blend. Previous reviews have said he’s a mix of Bob Dylan and John Mayer and it’s easy to see the reference. Although more charming than Mayer (an that may have this reviewers own prejudice), his voice had some of Dylan’s nuances and was strong, round and comfortable moving over the pleasant melodies. Dennen was a delight. The crowd were not disappointed with the performance. He finished the night with a couple of crowd favourites that had a few of the seated audience hop up and dance. For anyone that hasn’t heard of him, check him out – it’s a real treat.