Donavon Frankenreiter’s music always invites a loving vibe into the room. On August 28, nobody seemed to care about the trivial aspects of life as they left their worries at the door, freeing them to Dance Like Nobody’s Watching. I even found myself getting unstuck from the floor, which was sticky with beer (beer jumps out of the cup when you dance), to move my feet a little. Opener Cody Simpson humbly perpetuates Frankenreiter’s vibe.
Do a quick Google search on Cody Simpson and you’ll find that he’s a normal guy, just like you and me. Except … he’s been on tour with Justin Bieber…
Walking into The Plaza Live in Orlando, I expected to see Cody on stage with a wireless headpiece microphone and leather pants, reaching his hand out to gaggles of screaming fangirls. What I witnessed was quite the contrary. Don’t get me wrong, the fangirls were screaming. But Simpson was alone on a dimly lit stage, humbly holding an acoustic guitar, wearing jeans and a long-sleeved t-shirt, topped off with a baseball hat. He resembled that of a college kid you’d see at an open mic night. However, he sings and plays guitar like he’s been the supporting act for the Beibs. Because he has, remember? 🙂
Cody and his warm-sounding guitar played through a set of mellow songs. He even played a few of his own renditions of crowd-pleasers, including Ben Harper’s “Burn One Down.” During short breaks between songs, Cody connect with the crowd, thanking us for coming early and hanging out, and explaining a few of his song’s meanings. At one point, while skillfully noodling on his six strings, he explained how his music has so drastically changed over the past few years. He’d gone from putting out pop songs that his label had made him sing, to writing his own laid back material that “really come from the roots.”
Simpson just released his first album independent from his previous record label, appropriately titled Free. Simpson proved he’s a great live performer and songwriter and at a young age. He’s definitely an artist worth keeping up with as he progresses with time. Check out Cody Simpson’s song “New Problems” below.
In support of his new album, The Heart, Donavon Frankenreiter and his talented compatriots took the stage and performed soulfully from… the heart. They played a wide array of Donny’s decade worth of songs, at least a couple from each album. Favorites from the night include “Move by Yourself,” “That’s Too Bad,” “Headed Home,” and “Big Wave.”
Donavon Frankenreiter. Photo by Adam Fricke
Drummer Michael Duffy held down a solid beat all night long, sometimes trading his drumsticks for a maraca, tambourine, or a bongo drum. While Donny pulled at our heartstrings with his soothing voice and positive lyrics, multi-instrumentalist Matt Grundy plucked his guitar strings with ease. He masterfully accented songs with gritty, bluesy guitar melodies, as the bass line he layed with his double-necked ax looped underneath. Whether he was switching between guitar necks, or reaching for his harmonica for a solo, he wouldn’t even open his eyes. It was as if his instruments were extensions of his body.
Michael Duffy. Photo by Adam Fricke
Matt Grundy. Photo by Adam Fricke
Donny, Grundy, and Duffy finished off the night by inviting Cody Simpson back to the stage for “If It Don’t Matter.” Simpson sang the second verse with a proud Frankenreiter looking on. He spent the rest of the song trading guitar licks with Grundy, while Donavon invited an audience member on stage for a few moments of fame to sing the chorus totally by himself. He rose to the occasion and had the whole room cheering. Then, Donavon thanked everyone for coming and humbly walked off stage.
Cody Simpson and Donavon Frankenreiter. Photo by Adam Fricke
This was one of the last shows of the east coast portion of their tour, but if you live on the west coast and like to have a good time (dates below), you should definitely catch them as they Swing On Down. 😉
Donavon Frankenreiter West Coast Tour Dates 2015:
Sep 15 Saint Rocke Hermosa Beach, CA
Sep 16 The Independent San Francisco, CA
Sep 17 City Winery Napa, CA
Sep 18 The Canyon Agoura Hills, CA
Sep 19 Teragram Ballroom Los Angeles, CA
Sep 20 KABOO Festival Del Mar, CA
Sep 23 SOhO Restaurant and Music Club Santa Barbara, CA
Sep 24 Moe’s Alley Santa Cruz, CA
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Donavon Frankenreiter and Cody Simpson Live Review & Concert Photos by Adam Fricke, edited by Matthew Weller.
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▼ SHOWS TO GO TO ▼
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- The Commission Beer Chamber
- Kingfish Records (Clearwater)
- Nora's Sugar Shack!
- Park Ave CDs
- Montgomery Drive Presents
- RT-Art Printing
- The Mary Jane 'High-Quality' Art Gallery
- The Owl's Attic Vintage Shop
- Broken Strings Brewery
- American Combat Club
- Lazy Moon Pizza
- Ten10 Brewing
- Leguminati
- Mutiny Ocala
- The Tipsy Skipper
- Conrad's Beer Shanty
- AKT Shirt Printing
- Smartpunk Records & Shop
- No Clubs Presents
- DaddyKool Records
- Galactic G Skateshop
