Nicole HartleyAlthough the tickets were for the Milky Chance concert, Lewis Capaldi is the artist that I paid to see and the vocalist who should have headlined the Winspear stage last week on Wednesday, January 31. Not to say that Milky Chance wasn’t phenomenal, but Capaldi and the Winspear Centre were made for one another.
Milky Chance has already established their talent and vibe; Clemens Rehbein’s voice is as fresh as his moustache, and the harmonica solos are out of this world. Each artist in the band does the same funny little footwork when they dance on the stage, but luckily their musical capabilities are far more sophisticated than their moves. During their set, they requested that everyone in the audience stand up from their seats and dance, and I now realize that it was probably (read: hopefully), so they could observe and learn. The show they put on was undeniably excellent; however, their opener was the real deal and is more than deserving of his own sold-out shows.
Lewis Capaldi knows your most profound pain, even if you don’t, and he’s going to sing it out to you while you bawl. After his set, the lobby of the Winspear was abuzz with praise from devoted fans to the newly-converted. Recently, the Scottish songster was included in 11 lists of ones to watch for 2018, such as Vevo Ones to Watch and BBC Music Sound of 2018, among others. In a few years’ time, he’ll be rivalling Ed Sheeran on the charts, and deservedly so. Capaldi was gifted with golden vocal chords, and although someone clearly smashed his heart, he collected the pieces and crafted them into four heart-wrenching ballads that will simulate this feeling in you.
If you’re ready to snivel and sob for a marvellous reason, then grab some Kleenex and cookie dough and take the time right now to check out his Bloom EP. As Capaldi requested of the listeners as his concert — now being extended to you — “For the next half an hour, if you’ll indulge me, can we all just be really fucking sad?”
