Brett Dennen brought some of his native Northern California’s warmth to D.C.’s 9:30 Club on Feb. 26. The folk-pop singer/songwriter rarely visits the East Coast, so the stop in D.C. in support of his newest album easily filled the sizable venue.
Dennen’s fifth album “Smoke and Mirrors” marked a return to form. After a streak of commercial success, he turned his attention to a more stripped-down, introspective songwriting process that recaptures the sincerity that defined his early success. Dennen’s return to his folk roots, coupled with the experience he’s accrued since his first major tour with John Mayer in 2008, made for an exceptional performance.
After an opening set from Irish folk artist Foy Vance that surpassed all expectations, Dennen and his touring band took the stage and kept the good vibes flowing strong. Dennen opened with tracks from “Smoke and Mirrors” like “Sweet Persuasion,” and tastefully balanced new hits against old favorites in a set that flowed comfortably throughout the evening.
The audience, despite noticeable overcrowding, danced and sang along with the tall, redheaded Dennen as he floated and shimmied barefoot around stage.
Even though the set reached an energy lull about three quarters of the way through the show, Dennen took the opportunity to perform a song unaccompanied by his band: a true return to his musical roots as a folk singer/songwriter. The crowd grew astonishingly silent – in the best way possible – as Dennen delivered an extraordinary solo performance of “Just Like the Moon.” While not his most recognized song, the crowd hung on every note, which illustrated Dennen’s skills as both a guitarist and as a vocalist. Other unexpected highlights included a spontaneous and impressive collaborative cover of Van Morrison’s “Tupelo Honey” with opening act Foy Vance.
Dennen ended the evening on a high note with his popular song “Blessed.” The crowd danced and enjoyed the generally positive ambiance as a visibly thrilled Dennen danced around stage expressing his thanks to each band member as well as to Foy Vance and the supporting staff at the 9:30 Club. This down-to-earth attitude was indicative of Dennen’s performance overall, in that it was musically very together without ever coming off as over-rehearsed or over-produced. Appropriately, this reflects the direction of his latest album.
If a sincere return to his Northern California folk roots was what he hoped to achieve both in the studio and on stage, then Dennen should consider his mission accomplished.
