Some performances are meant to be a spectacle–big stages, fireworks, confetti drops. Others, like Sombr’s and Daniel Seavey’s recent show at Brooklyn Bowl in Philadelphia, are all about connection. On April 15, they put on a show in a packed venue with hundreds of screaming fans, yet the night felt amazingly personal.
The second the band emerged on stage wearing crisp black suits (very Beatles-coded), the mood shifted. The crowd gasped when the music started. Sombr took the stage dressed in all black, which coordinated with his band. His music had weight to it, the kind that can be felt in the chest. It was emotional without being over-the-top, drawing the crowd in without needing to say much at all.
Early on in the set, an audience member yelled, “white boy of the year!” Sombr cracked up laughing and had to stop playing, admitting he could not concentrate after that. His audience interaction proved Sombr’s personability and made the crowd love him even more.
Songs like “Do I Ever Cross Your Mind” and “Undress,” the latter of which charted on the Billboard Hot 100, were clear crowd favorites. There was high anticipation as he finished his set with “Back to Friends”, his highest-streamed track. When the final chords echoed through the venue, Sombr leapt off stage into the VIP section and disappeared, leaving fans gasping and buzzing.
Daniel Seavey followed with a lighter, more carefree energy. His stage presence was playful and confident, very much in sync with the audience. With only a drummer to accompany him, Seavy drove the rest of his set with layered tracks and a looper pedal, seamlessly combining live playing with pre-recorded backing. The whole performance felt intentional and intimate.
There were stripped, acoustic moments too, with everyone in the audience singing along. Seavey even asked the crowd to choose a song he could play a cover of. When “Pink Pony Club” by Chappell Roan was shouted out, he did not hesitate. He built it from the ground up on the spot using the looper pedal, adding vocals, percussion, guitar and the cello with a laid-back kind of showmanship that left the entire room stunned.
Other notable mentions of the set included fan favorites like “Sleeping With the Lights On” and “Gateway Drug”, but the most striking moment came when he played “Eden”, a yet-to-be-released track. It is not easy to win a crowd over with a song they have never heard before, but Seavey did it easily.
It was the interactions that united the crowd and the performers. Neither artist gave the performance as if they were monologues, but rather they strode through the crowd, probed, teased and paused to really look at their audience. It made the night less of a concert and more like a conversation between artist and viewer.
In the end, this show was about more than the music. It was about being authentic and present, even if it meant stopping a song or risking a live cover. Both Sombr and Daniel Seavey accomplished that with ease.
For the sea of teenage girls who turned up prepared to scream and sing along (quite a few got caught whispering about how tall and handsome Sombr was), the night was as perfect as they could have ever hoped for.
Some performances are meant to be a spectacle–big stages, fireworks, confetti drops. Others, like Sombr’s and Daniel Seavey’s recent show at Brooklyn Bowl in Philadelphia, are all about connection. On April 15, they put on a show in a packed venue with hundreds of screaming fans, yet the night felt amazingly personal.
The second the band emerged on stage wearing crisp black suits (very Beatles-coded), the mood shifted. The crowd gasped when the music started. Sombr took the stage dressed in all black, which coordinated with his band. His music had weight to it, the kind that can be felt in the chest. It was emotional without being over-the-top, drawing the crowd in without needing to say much at all.
Early on in the set, an audience member yelled, “white boy of the year!” Sombr cracked up laughing and had to stop playing, admitting he could not concentrate after that. His audience interaction proved Sombr’s personability and made the crowd love him even more.
Songs like “Do I Ever Cross Your Mind” and “Undress,” the latter of which charted on the Billboard Hot 100, were clear crowd favorites. There was high high anticipation as he finished his set with “Back to Friends”, his highest-streamed track. When the final chords echoed through the venue, Sombr leapt off stage into the VIP section and disappeared, leaving fans gasping and buzzing.
Daniel Seavey followed with a lighter, more carefree energy. His stage presence was playful and confident, very much in sync with the audience. With only a drummer to accompany him, Seavy drove the rest of his set with layered tracks and a looper pedal, seamlessly combining live playing with pre-recorded backing. The whole performance felt intentional and intimate.
There were stripped, acoustic moments too, with everyone in the audience singing along. Seavey even asked the crowd to choose a song he could play a cover of. When “Pink Pony Club” by Chappell Roan was shouted out, he did not hesitate. He built it from the ground up on the spot using the looper pedal, adding vocals, percussion, guitar and the cello with a laid-back kind of showmanship that left the entire room stunned.
Other notable mentions of the set included fan favorites like “Sleeping With the Lights On” and “Gateway Drug”, but the most striking moment came when he played “Eden”, a yet-to-be-released track. It is not easy to win a crowd over with a song they have never heard before, but Seavey did it easily.
It was the interactions that united the crowd and the performers. Neither artist gave the performance as if they were monologues, but rather they strode through the crowd, probed, teased and paused to really look at their audience. It made the night less of a concert and more like a conversation between artist and viewer.
In the end, this show was about more than the music. It was about being authentic and present, even if it meant stopping a song or risking a live cover. Both Sombr and Daniel Seavey accomplished that with ease.
For the sea of teenage girls who turned up prepared to scream and sing along (quite a few got caught whispering about how tall and handsome Sombr was), the night was as perfect as they could have ever hoped for.