Author: Bridget Benevides
I love going to concerts for KXSU, it is easily the best part of my college experience. And being in Seattle exposes me to so much new music and so many talented artists. This quarter I am pretty busy with school (nursing major over here), so I am not going to as many concerts as I have in previous quarters. Because of this I am definitely having some concert withdrawals and I am extremely excited to be going to see Dean Lewis, SYML and Jack Gray next Monday, February 18th!!!
You may recognize the name Dean Lewis because his latest single “Be Alright” has been growing in popularity, already reaching over 200 million streams. He perfectly captures gut-wrenching heartbreak that comes with the hardships of a break-up. But while it deals candidly with anguish, the chorus swells with hope; a recognition that this pain is only temporary, with Lewis emotively singing “It’s never easy to walk away/ Let her go/ it’ll be ok”.
My roommate and I have been playing this song on repeat for weeks now, so needless to say we are highly anticipating next week where we will (hopefully) get to see it performed live. Of course, if he does not perform “Be Alright” we will be perfectly content hearing some other songs off his EP “Same Kind Of Different” which was released in 2017.
When I was at John Craigie’s concert a little bit ago he made a joke about The Coffee House on SiriusXM and said, “All the cool dads listen to The Coffee House.” to which I burst out laughing because my dad always listens to The Coffee House, especially on long family car rides. And for a while we all hated it, but slowly grew to enjoy those acoustic vibes. It was there, on The Coffee House that I was introduced to the beautiful sounds of SYML, and boy am I thankful because I have not stopped exploring his music since. SYML is the moodier solo venture of Barcelona frontman and Seattle (!!!) native Brian Fennell. As SYML, Fennell is more textural and sensory than Barcelona’s piano rock, framing his quiet, introspective songwriting in low-key synth-augmented soundscapes with austere piano parts and spectral vocals. I love his songs “Where’s My Love” and “Girl” because of their genuine and emotional lyrics. They are very smooth and easy to listen to, and for the life of me I cannot get sick of them, no matter how much I listen to them.
As if seeing those two live isn’t good enough, Jack Gray will also be there!! Jack Gray is a 20-year-old singer, songwriter and producer from North Queensland, Australia. Music has been a part of his life since he was little, he got his Bachelors in Music in Brisbane, Australia and started making music. He calls his music “alt- pop” and loves blending organic instruments with electronic sounds. I am super excited to see this new up and coming young artist!
If you are interested in seeing this trio of talent for yourself, you can find tickets HERE! Dean Lewis, SYML and Jack Gray will be performing at The Crocodile on Monday, February 18th. This is an all ages event and doors open at 6:30pm. See you there!!
You can connect with Dean Lewis on Facebook, Instagram, or on his Official Website.
You can connect with SYML on Facebook, Instagram, or on his Official Website.
You can connect with Jack Gray on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, or on his Official Website.
BRIDGET BENEVIDES | “All the cool dads listen to The Coffee House.”| KXSU Music Reporter