Written by Bridget Benevides
Lo and behold it has happened again; I witnessed musical greatness and quickly fell in love. The weather got weird in Seattle on Easter Sunday when it started hailing in the early evening, but I took cover in the warm Triple Door downtown. The glow of the purple and orange lights that emanated from the stage engulfed me like a cozy blanket, and as I sat in the front row, I felt as happy as can be.
I have never had a bad experience at The Triple Door, and I was, yet again, greeted with kindness and hospitality this time around. I was beyond excited to be seated mere inches from the stage, as tonight’s show had less of a crowd than some of the other performances I have attended at this venue. I was also lucky enough to be sitting next to a photographer and friend of Korby’s, Heather Fitzpatrick, who took some amazing shots throughout the night.
The first performer of the night, Clara Baker, blew me away. She was incredibly beautiful and sang with such ease and talent. She told intriguing back stories about her songs and how they came to be, and roused laughter out of the crowd in doing so. She played acoustic guitar as she sang her melodies that were delicate yet powerful. My favorite song of hers was one she wrote after she got inspired by nature; she sang about how sometimes we get overwhelmed thinking about the future and following a path we’ve set for ourselves, but beauty can be found in all of the wonders that Mother Nature has given us. That song really touched me, and hearing it performed live was especially moving.
Korby Lenker came to stage wearing a very unique outfit consisting of a blue button up shirt, bright orangish-pink pants, dress shoes, and no socks. He told us he had some cool socks on before the show but changed his mind and took them off (this made me laugh). He started his set with his song “Northern Lights” which was beautiful on acoustic guitar. I was so close to the stage that I could see the tendons in his hands moving as he picked at the strings, and I don’t know about you, but that is so mesmerizing to me.
When he sang, Lenker wiggled just slightly, which made his curly hair bounce and was endearing. I could feel the passion, not only in his voice, but in the way that he held himself on stage, almost as if the music couldn’t wait to escape his body and fill into ours. He told stories, of nothing and of everything, in between his songs, and wouldn’t start his next song until he felt we had sufficiently laughed. He played piano, acoustic guitar, and ukulele and was joined by Michael Connolly who played the fiddle and the upright bass. The incorporation of these simple instruments created a new dimension to the music that I really appreciated. Michael is a very talented musician and him and Korby seemed to have fun performing together on stage. Korby played original songs, songs that haven’t been recorded or released and covers of songs; he strayed from his prewritten set list to play songs he was feeling in the moment which made for a very unique show.
He was the perfect mix of strength and softness. He was quirky, but confident and I couldn’t help but smile while in the presence of him. I know I am not the only one who was infected by his charming demeanor and comedic tales; The Triple Door was full of laughter this Easter Sunday thanks to Korby Lenker.
I was lucky enough to run into him in the hall on my way out the door. Much to my surprise I did not freeze and gawk awkwardly but managed to tell him a little bit about myself, KXSU, and how I came to be a part of the crowd that night. I thanked him for his stellar performance and told him to keep an eye out for my article, as I would tag him when it was posted. Fingers crossed he sees it and it puts a smile on his face; it’s the least I can do considering the smile he left on my face tonight.
Korby Lenker is headed to the UK tomorrow to “take this thing overseas” as he said. However, you can connect with him on Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, or on his Official Website. Special thanks to Heather Fitzpatrick for capturing some special moments of the night, you can check out her work on her Official Website or on her Flickr! (How lucky am I to be in such close proximity to so many talented individuals!!)
BRIDGET BENEVIDES | “My little life is mine” | KXSU Music Reporter