For the second time this year Jarrod Dickenson returned to Norwich, this time on his Unplugged & Distilled tour, to treat fans to a quality evening of music at The Waterfront Studio.
Having seen Jarrod a few times live, it was safe to say I was excited for his return back to our fine city with what was described as a much more intimate tour. Teaming up with Balcones Distilling, a whisky distillery established in his hometown of Waco in Texas, the evening allowed the audience to enjoy an evening of Texas songs whilst consuming Texas whisky.
Along with his wife Claire who joined him on stage, they decided to strip everything away for these shows leaving only the song in its most primitive, raw and honest state. There were no bands or electric guitars, just a few acoustic's, their vocals, a variety of percussion and one
microphone.
Having hand-picked a bunch of intimate venues across the UK, Dickenson performed some new songs, some old favourites and some that were written by people he greatly admires - such as Guy Clark and Roy Orbison.
His vocals were as warm, raspy and powerful as I had remembered, perhaps even more exquisite than my memory served me. Supported by some stunning harmonies from Claire Dickenson, their voices beautifully entwined to create the most phenomenal sounds.
Jarrod Dickenson has a knack of writing songs that capture stories and emotions, paired with a natural ability to deliver them with absolute sophistication. His music has a wonderful ability to completely relax you, allowing you to just sit back and fully appreciate both the
lyrics and the structure of the track itself.
Not only this but he also seems like a really genuine person - someone who is constantly grateful of the support the audience and his fans have shown him. It's this humble side that can often be hard to find in an artist and is one of the qualities that makes him so likeable and relatable.
Before we knew it, the show was drawing to a close and Jarrod and Claire were performing their last song. After leaving the stage momentarily, Jarrod Dickenson returned on his own to perform his heart-warming song Goodbye - a sentimental track that he dedicated to his late grandfather. It's a heart-wrenchingly divine track that was delivered with emotion and had the audience in complete silence, hanging on his every word.
Claire then re-joined him for the final song which was met with rapturous applause as he strummed the last notes and they said their final thank you's.
There's something to be said for a performer who has the ability to have the audience in complete silence at certain points in their set and then have them singing along to their songs in other moments. He's a delight to watch perform and hugely deserving of his continued success. I've said it before and I'll say it again - if you have a spare few minutes then make sure you check him out.
A mention must also be given to the crazy talented Darrin Bradbury who was the support act for the evening. Writting songs about the way things really are in America, his natural gift for storytelling is paired with a sly sense of humour to bring some of the most cleverly written songs I've heard in a long time.
He is a genuinely hilarious man who, like Jarrod Dickenson, is extremely comfortable on stage and has an incredibly ability to interact with the audience at ease. I will absolutely be checking more of his music out and keeping an eye out for if he comes back to the UK for a second time.
- For more Norwich music check out our dedicated page every Thursday in the Eastern Daily Press and Norwich Evening News or follow Enjoy Music More on Facebook and Twitter
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