To say folk music has evolved with the aging of time would be an amazing understatement. For the most part, the roots are still intact and the message still the same. Contemporary folk artists can't help but be compared to their predecessors. That being said, Damien Rice has managed to make a name for himself by embracing those ideals and growing the sounds into his vision of the genre.
It’s a challenging and brave feat to do an “evening with” show. Even more so if it’s a solo performance. Rice is no stranger to the concept, and the Orpheum Theater was his host this time around. Like his Civic show a few years ago, this was also a sold-out event with basically the same stage setup. The stage was minimal and lit by some amazing backlights that you’d see in a regular stage production. They helped create a mood that could best be described as haunting and eerie. The lights, along with an abundance of fog, created moments of chaos and joy all rolled up into one. The set was a great representation of Damien’s catalogue.
The picturesque show was mostly uninterrupted, though every now and again, there were loud cheers from the crowd that almost seemed to be stress relief for them, but a bit annoying. Damien took the interruptions in stride. This brief U.S. tour only consisted of three dates, so the crowd was fortunate to see him and were also lucky to be treated to some new material.
