Photos by Timothy Toda
The wait was long, but the tension was high. Once the lights dimmed and James Bay took the stage, everyone was ecstatic. The UK-based solo artist played an impressive sold out show at Irving Plaza. The vigor in his voice was unmatched and as soon as he opened his mouth, there was a magical blanket that set an exciting and calming mood. There was no reason to doubt his musical abilities. His naturalistic and calm songs translated into an aggressive, yet reserved rock performance. That is until he played his hit song, “Let it Go,” solo on stage. Every single person in the audience sang along, reaching for their phones to record the performance.
Another folk solo artist, Marc Scibilia was the perfect opener that warmed up the crowd with both a groovy and a charismatic set list. The combination of minimal instrumentation kept the crowd on their toes, giving it his own twist and performing a song that everyone knows: “Your Land is My Land.”