A night of covers, originals, and honest singing. That’s what was received out of the Dustin Kensrue and Andy Hull co-tour at Mercy Lounge on the 23rd.
Dustin Kensrue, known to most as the front-man of the underground sensation Thrice, created an atmosphere of acoustic vulnerability.
On this stage he wasn’t the front man of Thrice. On this stage he was purely Dustin, singing with his acoustic guitar for a room full of people.
His song choices varied from dark, philosophical and introspective, to soft, and heartfelt. He sang Costello, Springsteen, and Brand New. Dustin sang, notably, one of my favorite songs, “Jesus Christ” by Brand New. It was a crowd favorite — you can hear them singing along at one point.
Dustin comments on his performances, “A lot of the material is a little more down to earth, which is one of things that I tried to do with these songs,” says Kensrue. “I get a little heady with the Thrice songs. And I like doing that—I think people like engaging in that—but I wanted these to be more folky, in the sense that this is music coming from a natural place.”
Indeed the music performed that night was down-to-earth. Raw. Real. Honest. You could hear the breaking in his voice when he sang about missing his loved one. You could feel the pain when he was contemplating the meaning of life in his Brand New covers.
Compare acoustic Dustin to his claim to fame band, Thrice:
The lyrical content of their latest single is comparable to the songs Dustin performs on his solo tour– just without the heavy backing instrumentals, performing songs like “Hide and Seek,” by Imogen Heap, and “Round Here” by Counting Crows.
Dusin Kensrue and Andy Hull are currently still on their Northeast and Southwest tour, continuing through March 30, 2017. There are currently no scheduled dates for Dustin’s solo career, but be sure to check out his website for details of further tour dates.
If you can’t wait that long, Dustin’s band Thrice will be playing shows throughout the summer!
The Sassy Show Critic 