Brett Dennen w/ Dean Lewis
The Neptune Theatre, Seattle, WA
03.20.18
In the landscape of pop music, Brett Dennen is pretty recognizable, and I’m not even speaking of his fiery red hair or tall, lanky presence. It is his voice, simple arrangements, and thematically inspired songs. This is what has built his loyal fan base, a fan base which filled The Neptune to capacity to enjoy each other’s company and some heartwarming tunes.
Opening the night was Australian crooner Dean Lewis. A charming fella with floppy, curly hair who showed good taste in shoes with his low-top Nikes. He had an Ed Sheeran-esque voice as he bared heart and soul through his forlorn, expressive love songs. His set hit all of the archetypal themes: love lost, crazy love, yearning, and not wanting to hurt the one you love; and he did them well.
The opening song “Lose My Mind” was a stand-out, as it was no-nonsense, “Cause I only lose my mind when I ain’t got you.” People are driven to this kind of honesty and it resonated. Lewis engaged well with the crowd, telling stories and being vulnerable through his songs. The set ended with his hit, “Waves” (which you may have heard in some hit TV shows), much to the pleasure of the floor as they went a bit crazy. Lewis may not yet be a household name, but you wouldn’t know it to hear the sheer amount of singing along amongst the crowd.
A tall, skinny California wild child, Brett Dennen has been a staple in the folk-pop scene since his acclaimed self-titled debut in 2004. The beginning of his set began in the spirit of his songs; simply. Under a mound of boyish red hair, adorned in a simple flannel shirt, he strolled out onto the stage and just started to play.
His latest album, Por Favor, has a classic Dennen feel. Simple folk music driven by the pick-less strums of his acoustic guitar. “Cassidy,” a tale about a boy asking a girl to come out one night to go to a beach, evoked past Dennen love songs “Just Like The Moon” and “Desert Sunrise,” with just a bit more of a beat.
Walking the stage at a deliberate pace, Dennen’s stage presence was easy going. Even when he burst into the upbeat stand-out, “Sidney,” a jamming sing-along, he really didn’t move that much. Small shimmies of the hips and some ins and outs with his feet—his signature dance moves—drove the crowd crazy. The man just has fun on stage.
Speaking of the crowd erupting, when the first chords of “She’s Mine” were played, a sizeable roar was unleashed. Plenty of couples held tight their other half during the song, which is a simple declaration of love. Dennen is a California kid through and through and “San Francisco” is a perfect tribute to his central and northern California roots and the crowd felt the love that he gave his home.
Dennen is an artist that can immediately set a crowd at ease or just as easily get a crowd to start a dance party. He doesn’t need elaborate lights or a huge stage setup, he is that guy at a party with a guitar who holds court among his friends and treats them to a great night that brings people closer without all of the noise.
Review and photos by Phillip Johnson
Brett Dennen
Dean Lewis
