Casey Lowry @ Club 85

Casey Lowry:

Tonight, Casey Lowry brought his UK tour to one of the country's best grassroots venues, Club 85 in Hitchin. This was the second show on a tour that will say Casey play a string of independent music venues, alongside some brilliant independent artists, all with the aim of making show accessible to everyone. 

The tour is sponsored by Coke Studios in partnership with the Music Venue Trust, which has allowed tickets to be completely free. Any opportunity to get people into grassroots venues is vital in the current live music climate, and seeing a star as big as Casey Lowry in such an intimate setting proves just how amazing a night in a grassroot venue is. Casey and his band were supported on the night by singer-songwriter Jason Allan and American Pysch-Pop artist Nordista Freeze, meaning by the time Casey Lowry took to the stage
the audience was well and truly warmed up, and the excitement in the room was palpable. 

Opening his set with an upcoming single, Casey immediately matched the rooms energy, and what followed was a masterfully crafted set of old hits, recent bangers and exciting future teases. The crowd taking over the quieter start to 'Boyfriend' seemed to almost take Casey back, as he starts to realise just how loved an artist he is, and how promising a future he has. 

The thing that makes Casey Lowry shows SO special is he is not only an amazing singer-songwriter, but he is so open and quick witted that you can't help but smile and laugh the entire way through. His songs are instantly relatable with tracks like '27,000 days' and 'caught me at my lowest' instantly capturing any audience members who many not have seen Casey before, whereas his more tongue-in-cheek songs like 'We Had Everything' and upcoming single 'Blue Corduroys' had everyone laughing as much as they were jumping and dancing.

Casey has such an infectious connection with his band mates Charlie (drummer) and Raffer (guitarist) which allowed them stop and start songs almost telepathically, being shown most clearly when they managed to play an Impromptu joke song themed around audience member 'Chris' and his definitely non-questionable interests.

The show drew to an end with constant crowd pleasers. Casey's first single 'Trampoline' and his now iconic cover of Frankie Valli & The Four Seasons' 'Beggin' received the biggest reactions of the night. The show proved yet again why Casey and his music have seen such an explosive growth in recent years, he has the infectious energy mixed with brilliant songs that every megastar needs, and there is no doubt he is heading in that direction.

There are still a number of dates left on this tour, and whilst it is sold out there may be tickets returned to venues so keep an eye out as you won't want to miss the chance to see this future arena headliner

Nordista Freeze: 

Nordista Freeze burst onto the stage with more energy than I've used in my life. The Nashville-native is on his first trip to the UK, and although this was only his second show across the pond, he connected to the audience like he was born outside Club 85. Whilst tongue-in-cheek claims that Hitchin is his favourite town in the UK certainly didn't hinder his case, the radiant energy of an artist mastering their craft made Nordista an immediate fan favourite.

Incredible songs like 'Wysteria' and 'First Time' displayed Nordista Freeze's credibility as an artist, whilst hilarious quips about topics like lime cordial made you fall in love with the man.

Nordista's music feels like the Americana Pysch-Pop love child of Arctic Monkeys and the Rolling Stones, owning the stage with the swagger of Alex Turner, and the moves of Mick Jagger. This is by no means saying this was a set of imitation, in fact it couldn't be further from it. It was set showcasing arguably the most promising stage presence I have seen in years.

Jason Allan:

Jason Allan was our opening act and the easiest way to describe his set would be chaotic brilliant. For someone who's singing style is so clean and refined, his stage presence was a complete flip reverse in the best possible way. From running back and forth across the stage to start songs (as he performed without a band due to the last-minute scheduling of the slot), to lying amongst the audience to cover Snow Patrol's 'Chasing Cars', Jason was a welcome burst of infectious energy that provided the perfect start to the evening, tying together the tongue in cheek fun with what was some genuinely top-quality pop music.

Earlier tracks like 'Self Deprecating' and 'Run' showed exactly why Jason has managed to gather a large following so quickly, whilst newest track 'We Got This' and next release 'Neverland' demonstrated the rapid growth Jason is having as an artist. It is so clear that with every release Jason Allan is maturing as an artist and writing authentic music that reflects him as a person.