Stu Larsen returned to NYC at Mercury Lounge on August 21st. The Australian native had a strong group of loyal fans present at this intimate performance. As Stu took the stage, fans clamored close to the stage. Starting the show with some of his earlier work and then transitioning into his latest album, Resolute, Larsen played a collection of new, old, and favorite songs.
Stu Larsen Performs From His Latest, Resolute
Larsen revealed stories to some of the songs on Resolute, which was released in July of this year. My favorite story was the inspiration behind “Chicago Song”. Upon initially listening to it, it seems that the subject of the song is a woman that Larsen met while in Chicago. However, he revealed to the audience that the “she” within the song is actually a guitar that he fell in love with and bought while in Chicago. The song is composed of his touring throughout the United States with his newfound love, his guitar, named after the city it was born in.
With just an acoustic guitar and an assortment of harmonicas, Larsen pulled the crowd into a trance. I’ve never seen in a room go so quiet like it did for Stu as he sang the likes of “Ferry to Dublin”, “Thirteen Sad Farewells”, and others. Larsen’s melodic voice in combination with the acoustic guitar and occasional harmonica made this performance—like all his music—extremely heartfelt.
At times, it’s hard to involve the crowd, especially at such a laid-back show, but Larsen succeeded with ease. He even asked the attendants to join him in singing “Some Kind of Gypsy”. Having the crowd sing the chorus, which is composed of four simple lines “I need your love (x3), won’t you give it to me”. The room quietly joined in singing with Larsen, getting louder as other show-goers were encouraged by the sound of others proudly singing. By the end of the night, there was a feeling of cohesion in the air, planted there by Larsen’s presence.
Check out the latest from Stu Larsen on his WEBSITE.
