Nils Lofgrin: Live at The Winchester (6_15_06 9:30 PM)

Last night I had the opportunity to see witness a live performance of Nils Lofgrin at The Winchester in Lakewood, Ohio. I was expecting a mellow night; the normal acoustic guitar and coffee shop music meant to make you feel like you are not the only person in North East Ohio that feels like you do. Instead, I heard a talented singer/song writer who possesses a bit of extra character.

Throughout the evening, Mr. Lofgrin went between using two different types of guitars playing mostly original music. He mixed new and old, promoting the new album whenever possible. His voice matches that of a high baritone with not much age shown. This is remarkable considering his career traveling and performing with Neil Young (After The Goldrush & Transformer) and the ever popular Bruce Springsting. Nil's piano control was solid, pulling out moving arpeggios at the right moment and creating a desirable atmosphere that changed as much as his demeanor and sunglass apparel did. The pieces on electric with a backed taping of a band seemed inappropriate for the evening and could have been left out. I would suggest this to many people but would more than likely be told off since these pieces carried much of the excitement for the majority of the audience.

The Winchester was a lovely venue for the show. The atmosphere was intimate and classy. No goofy paintings, no expensive chairs, just a isle of card tables and folding chairs; a place that cares about music, not racking in the dough.

Being the second of two shows (7:00 PM & 9:30 PM), Nils kept the energy and showed his respect of the Cleveland audience. This makes him a winner in my book.

technorati tags:music, review, rock'n'roll, nilslofgrin, guitar, tour, live, cleveland, winchester, solo, piano

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