Who knows why some concerts are better than others? During some shows, there’s a palpable energy passing between performers and the audience. No one knows why and when it will happen, but when it’s there, it’s electric.
Sondre Lerche’s appearance at the Old Rock House last night was one of those concerts.
Partly, this is because Sondre is unbelievably charming. I don’t know if it’s his smile, his Nordic accent, his messy hair, his baby face, or his propensity to throw his head around wildly during songs. Perhaps it’s some combination of these elements. But the crowd (which, admittedly, contained its fair share of 16 year old girls) seemed enamored of him. That being said, the 40 year old behind me was just as twitterpated. Even the opener (the curiously named JBM) seemed pleased to be there. In the middle of his set, he delivered a backhanded compliment.
“We got in a little early today and…” He paused for a full 10 seconds.
“Well, it’s just nice to see you all out here.”
I imagine he was experiencing what most visitors must feel in downtown St. Louis. Clearly,the performers have arrived in what could technically be called a city. There are buildings, it’s true, and some sort of monument on the waterfront. Yet there doesn’t appear to be any inhabitants. It can be a little spooky, downtown St. Louis in the early afternoon. A bit post-apocalyptic. But whatever the reason, both JBM and Sondre seemed delighted anyone showed up, let alone a full house. At some point during the evening, they decided they were fond of St. Louis, and the crowd returned their affections. Complimenting the audience has become a trope at pop concerts, but Sondre made it all sound new again.
“You all are more than I could ask for,” he told the crowd.
You’re all that I could wish for. What a luxury. You’re attentive and you scream in the right places.”
“Congratulations,” he concluded. “Congratulations with such a beautiful city.”
But I digress. The music. The setlist was rich and varied, with selections from all his albums (with the exception of Duper Sessions, which, as my companion noted, “Sort of requires a stand-up bass player.”) It was a crowd-pleasing set, with “After All,” “Words & Music,” and “Sleep on Needles.” Sondre’s guitar skills were especially impressive. I’ve mentioned his emphatic headbanging in passing. On stage, it was paired with masterful, frenetic strumming on the guitar. At one point during “Dead Passengers” a song he introduced, inexplicably, as an “angry song” he crouched down to the ground, strumming like mad.
Highlights of the show included an ebullient rendition of “My Hands are Shaking” – definitely the most solid performance of the night. Yet another treat was a soothing, lullabye version of Modern Nature as the closing encore song. During it, the crowd seemed timid for the first time that night, singing softly along with the female part of the song. I don’t have any evidence to support this, but I feel sure that Sondre doesn’t play Modern Nature very often. But on February 15th, in a ghost city that filled up with music fans, as the snow blew horizontally against the huge windows of the Old Rock House, Sondre Lerche proclaimed his love for us. He sang us a duet and we, shyly, sang along.
(Setlist to follow)
