This ain't Adam Brand at MSG on Tuesday, opening for Taylor Swift. This is Adam Brand at a country rock club in Melbourne, Australia. This is Adam Brand at MSG.
So now you know why I didn't use the pix from MSG.
Adam Brand is a good ol' boy from Australia, playing some of that country-pop and, along with three other acoustic guitarists and a washboard, he performed a pretty good 20 minute set that didn't come close to wearing out its welcome.
Much better than his recorded works, which are too poppy by half, Brand played a hard, swift, western boot set geared to his audience. "Record Collection" is a smart distillation of influences and "Crazy Like That" a romantic twang, and he gets all of it. From ballads to rave ups he reminds me of a young Keith Urban: a romance bound Aussie, with a sweet voice and an undercurrent of toughness, he can bring up whenever it is called for. Adam's last album dates from 2008, which probably accounts for the discrepancy between record and stage.
He closes his set with a hoedown showdown "Girls Want To Dance With Girls". Good song, good job.
Grade: B
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