It wasn't sold out, but Jarrod Gorbel’s show last night was worthy of such. Exposed on the stage with just an acoustic guitar, Jarrod Gorbel was the show. Rich vocals from his trademark hollow, careless voice was really all that was needed.
Breaking through a series of guitar and sound issues, Gorbel told candid jokes (the majority pertaining to woolly mammoths), and bonded with the crowd. Andrea Babinski chimed in on his right, later bringing strong vocal harmonies — much stronger than those featured on their latest release, Devil’s Made a New Friend - and violin. Their lighthearted banter was a strange lead up to the mellow glow of the songs, but completely welcome. Andrea only stuck around for half of the set, leaving Gorbel to elaborate on his tales of love and loss and disappointment alone.
The show was simple, paralleling his style of music, but was also a beautiful display of instrumentals and lyrics. Eleven Americana songs varying from future releases, past releases, and favorites from his previous band, Honorary Title, kept listeners there till the end.
As for the exciting news of the night: a new EP will released this month, “That Bruise is From Your Bad Dream.” — Laurie Wanninger
