On May 24th at Bowery Ballroom in New York City, Kevin Morby was finally coming home. His sold out show at this venue was something he’d only ever dreamed of, and with the upcoming release of his stellar new record City Music, a love letter to cities like New York, it was the perfect culmination. Decked out in a custom Rusty Cuts white suit bedazzled with black music notes, Morby regaled the audience with memories of being the opening act at Bowery ten years earlier, and telling himself that someday, he would return as a headliner. He even borrowed a fan’s phone to snap a photo of the crowd. That giddiness is a reminder that, though he carries himself with the air of someone twice his age – a seasoned musician, Morby is still just shy of 30.
Morby started his set with his rollicking title track “City Music”, a tribute to the liveliness of New York City. Opening with an instrumental jam session that created a slow build up to his vocals, Morby sounded more confident than ever. He was joined by stellar guitar player Meg Duffy (of the fantastic Hand Habits), and Morby relished in collaborating with his band throughout, getting rowdy on infectious hand-banger “1234” and slowing it down with the sultry slow-burner “Come to Me Now”, and the gorgeous single “Aboard My Train.” He bounced between his guitar and a keyboard seamlessly, delivering a mesmerizing performance from start to finish, including a short solo set with the show stopping and timely protest song “Beautiful Strangers” off last year’s Singing Saw.
Morby’s City Music listens like a glimpse into his most private memories of being a city dweller, falling in love with a place and having his heart broken by it simultaneously. His record, and in turn, his live show, sets an entrancing mood. It embodies all of the loneliness, overwhelming emotion, sweeping romance and the deep, dark disappointment of city life. Through this album, out June 16th, Morby finds the beauty in it, and selling out a show at a venue where he got his start made it all worth
