Dean Lewis’s sold-out show at District Music Hall in Norwalk, Connecticut, on April 15 was a true showcase to his artistry and connection with fans. While District Music Hall may seem on the larger end of small venues with its balcony and box seating, it provided such a perfect intimate space to harness the heartfelt music all night.
Henry Moodie set the tone for the night, being an artist from the UK who is known for his emotional pop songs. Though there were a few fans specifically there for him, he captivated the rest of the audience when he brought out an inflatable die and a white board with a list of different artists for him to cover. The audience tossed up the inflatable die and chose his fate; a cover of “Traitor” by Olivia Rodrigo. His stage presence combined with his vocals were not only a perfect choice for an audience like Dean Lewis’, but is also showed his potential to grow into an artist as big as Dean.
Dean Lewis took the stage to an enthusiastic crowd, opening with his upbeat and powerful ballad, “Empire”. His setlist consisted of the perfect mix of melancholy and happy, playing his more well-known songs such as “How do I Say Goodbye”, “Half A Man”, “Waves”, his new song “I Hate That It’s True”, and “Cold” – of which he introduced by saying “This ones for all you happy people, it’s called ‘Cold’, go fuck yourselves”. He certainly knows his audience, talking about how depressed he and his fans are, praising America (and how Americans sing his songs with our accents) and that he sold out a show in Norwalk, Connecticut of all places. Throughout the evening, he engaged with fans by tossing guitar picks out after each song, waving to anyone and everyone, and responding to every “I love you” he heard. A highlight of the night was when he surprised everyone up on the balcony and played a handful of songs from there with his violinist and bassist.
His ability to connect with his audience was evident, even staying after the show to play a short acoustic set in a nearby alleyway, which he typically does after every show. It’s evident that he truly loves what he does and how he’s able to use his art to connect him with millions of people.
DEAN LEWIS
HENRY MOODIE
Photos + Review by Brittany Whitham | Exclusively for Music, Why Not!
