NXNE Critical Conclusions for Villagers (North By Northeast 2013 Concert Review)

Dublin’s Villagers were the first post-Bruise Cruise band that we saw on Saturday night. However, it wasn’t a full set, but a solo acoustic set by Conor O’Brien.

Villagers @ Sidedoor for NXNE (Copyright: PeteHatesMusic / Martin Bazyl)

Venue: Sidedoor (aka the Soho House)

First Impressions: Super small room. As noted, it was an unexpected solo acoustic show. We missed that in the notes. Conor’s voice and guitar sounds were well matched.

Stage Presence: Conor was comical, telling fire trucks to quiet down, and providing laughs between tracks. About all you can do when you’re solo and playing a guitar.

Random Observation: The cousins of the singer were in the crowd. They were apparently drunk and almost missed the show. I can relate.

Villagers @ Sidedoor for NXNE (Copyright: PeteHatesMusic / Martin Bazyl)

Crowd Reaction: Good applause. Overheard the phrase “it smells like hipster sweat in here” from an older woman walking in with a glass of wine.

The Last Word: 7.5 /10 – I actually was pleasantly surprised it was an acoustic show, as some of the songs came off better than will the full band. Tracks like 27 Strangers and Nothing Arrived were nice, but the focus on the lyrics and the silence detracted from the set at times.

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