Lambchop mesmerised the Royal Concert Hall, showcasing Kurt Wagner’s enduring voice and lyrics in a piano-centric performance. The slower pace and added space allowed Andrew Broder’s piano notes to punctuate the air, creating moments of harmony and cacophony that held the audience in rapt attention.
Wagner’s voice, crackling with a welcoming uniqueness, narrated tales of America, offering insight and humorous moments. The musical set-up might have been different, but the songs and stories were familiar to those who know and love the man’s output.
Sitting alongside the instantly recognisable and possibly less familiar Lambchop songs were moments like the smooth shift into Talking Heads’ ‘Once In A Lifetime’ and a sweet, meta cover of Sun June’s ‘Listening (to Lambchop by myself again).’
The lack of audience interaction for the first 45 minutes added to the atmospheric immersion, broken only by a brief, respectful address. The chaotic and forceful piano marked a swift, theatrical end, capped off by Wagner’s dramatic glass-clinking finale, before the duo took their final bow.
As Wagner’s piano tour continues, Lambchop fans should seize the chance to experience this new facet of the artist with the show being a delightful and captivating affair for the spellbound audience.
Photo credit: Mickie Winters
