From the first note strummed, to the last joyful bow, Bernard Fanning's sold-out show at The Fortitude Music Hall felt like a warm hug from an old friend.
Back onstage and looking as though he had never left, Fanning was flanked by his tight four-piece band as he performed every song from his award-winning, chart-topping album 'Tea & Sympathy' (13 March).
The 20th anniversary tour felt less like a retrospective and more like an intimate living-room jam (but with much better sound) – a band revisiting golden memories and stepping back in time through a musical looking glass.
When it was originally released in 2005, 'Tea & Sympathy' was a stellar record by every standard: topping charts, collecting multiple award nominations and wins, and proving that its songwriting bones were built to last.
Still sounding as though it could've been recorded yesterday, Fanning's collection of songs from this album moved from tender and poignant to brash and bold. Weaving alt. country and storytelling folk, these songs struck a chord back then and they did so again during this show.
His voice felt like listening to hazy afternoon sunlight, shadows woven among the golden tones. Vocals as strong as they were back then, Fanning had no trouble compelling the crowd with his opening number 'Down To The River'.
He appeared silhouetted under a strong downward spotlight, finger picking the opening bars before the band appeared in a wash of light on the first drum beat. As he jokingly told us at the start, he would be playing every song off the album but "in the most annoying order possible", which translated to 'don't get comfortable with the set list'.
He also added a few covers: 'Kathy's Song' by Paul Simon, 'Beware Of Darkness' by George Harrison, and 'Hey Hey, What Can I Do' by Led Zeppelin. As Fanning headed into the encore, he invited support acts Georgia Mooney and Sam Cromack back onstage, creating a dream line-up for the show's final stretch.
The stage was sparsely setup except for enormous draped red velvet curtains as a backdrop, adding theatrical drama to the room. Exceptional use of lighting created intense ambience with full colour saturation lights blanketing the stage in bright reds and then cool moody blues.
Later on in the set, there were visuals like framed paintings, faded photographs, star-filled corridors and cloud-covered skies. Languid and laid-back, Fanning strolled the stage in boot-leg jeans and a button up, his hair a little messy and with a grin so wide it would've been unmissable from even the furthest seats.
It was clear he was delighted to be back and his fans were loud in their support with ribbing cat calls, huge cheers and thunderous foot stomping present throughout the night.
Between songs, Fanning shared stories from the album's original recording in the UK (including the surreal detail that Peter Gabriel once made the band cups of tea), along with reflections on where he was in life at the time.
Fresh from the end of a long relationship and stepping into another, the songs traversed love and longing, regret and remorse, agitation and eventual acceptance.
That's part of the reason 'Tea & Sympathy' has resonated with so many people and continues to hold its own against today's musical offerings. Because it captures the messiness and magic of being human, living in a world that is flawed and imperfect, but choosing to be steered by the heart despite it all.
Fanning was born to be onstage, and he uses his voice and his music to connect people to the simple truths of life. This show felt like sitting by a camp fire – sharing tales and ribald jokes with a man who reached the top of the fame game and then stepped away – all set to the soundtrack of his well-loved album.
Weaving warmth, humour and hard-won wisdom through his husky vocals, this was an unforgettable show as Fanning took the crowd on a journey back in time. By the final bow, it actually felt more like a quiet promise to a better future proving how music can, in fact, change the world.
