In support of his latest offering, The Rainwater LP, Citizen Cope (aka Clarence Greenwood) sold out the House of Blues in Dallas March 10.
Selling out the House of Blues in Dallas is not the easiest thing in the world. Trust me, I am a professional. However, when you fill the halls with the unique melting pot of hip-hop, folk and blues of Cope, you better have purchased your tickets pre-sale.
Free from the restraints of a major tour, there were no awful headlining acts to sit through, and instead, we were treated to an intimate performance of old and new Citizen Cope selections.
The set began in a solemn and still manner. Cope slowly walked on to the stage, he awkwardly tuned his guitar and fumbled into his set.
“If I were a musician, I would wait until the crows was completely drunk and start playing songs over again, just to mess with their heads,” my friend whispered to me during the set.
Ironically, we were then treated to a second performance of “Sideways,” an obvious favorite of Cope. Now, I am not saying anyone noticed, but the crowd seemed to cheer and sing just a bit louder. Teamed with sensual and at times melancholy vocal styling, “Sideways” was a crowd hit, both times around.
With a positive response from the crowd, the offerings from The Rainwater LP were artfully arranged and extremely well-performed pieces with deep and thoughtful lyrics. Stand-out tracks, “I Couldn’t Explain Why” and “Lifeline” did particularly well with the crowd.
The heavy keyboards from “I Couldn’t Explain Why” filled the room, and the acoustic guitar crept from the speakers. Instantly, the crowd responded with boisterous cheers as Cope began the dark and evenly paced selection. This track is easily the most recognizable song on the album, with a smooth and flowing sound and solid lyrics.
It would have been hard to find a person in the crowd that was not singing along to Cope’s music. This was still the case during
“Lifeline.” The simple yet effective chord arrangement of the selection complimented the rolling drums and slow tempo that layered perfectly with his vocals. The brilliance of this track lies within its simplicity and understated performance. Utilizing a very basic setup of percussion, guitars, piano and voice created a sensual and velvet smooth track.
An evening spent with Citizen Cope is not one you will soon forget. While he does not jump around or interact much with the crowd, the focused attention to his music cannot go unnoticed.
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