On the second night of his 404 Tour, Barns Courtney brought his fire to Chicago’s Parkwest. The brilliance of Barns lies in his showmanship. There are no gimmicks. It’s just pure vibrant energy. Barns would throw himself into the crowd, hand his mic to fans, or be making witty comments throughout the set. He joked: “I think I’ve spoken for 50 % of this. I should just stick to the singing” In one point, Barns invited a newlywed couple on to the stage and thanked them for attending his show just hours after being wed.
There was never a moment of dullness as the show went on. He performs so effortlessly and has a natural charm. One of my favorite songs, in particular, was “Never Let You Down” off his album titled The Attractions of Youth. What I enjoyed about it the most was watching him lose himself with his acoustic guitar. Another memorable song from his first album was “Golden Dandelion.” The response from the crowd made it harder to hear what he was singing. His song “99” was just a taste of what to expect off his highly anticipated album: 404. Lyrically it’s nostalgic, but its catchy chorus makes it undoubtedly a Barns Courtney song.
Sonically, the songs he played from 404 are a natural transition from the heavier and grittier hits from The Attractions of Youth. Fans definitely continue to praise Barns for his work. During the encore, Barns began strumming the opening notes of “Fire.” Then he stopped and commanded the crowd to crouch down to the ground. He then hopped off the stage and into the pit. After that the entire crowd was moshing with Barns as he performed the song in its entirety from the crowd. The faces of fans varied from pure excitement to disbelief of having barns right next to them. Barns Courtney knows how to put on a show and his star will continue to be on the rise.
The Hunna
By: Jennifer Machuca | Exclusively for @Music, Why Not!
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