I checked out Cory Branan playing at Paradise Saturday. He was one of the acts that played before headliners Dashboard Confessional, and so the set was disappointingly short, only about short, 1/2 hour. Branan took to the stage before a rather quiet audience. Dashboard sometimes do a version of his song “Tall Green Grass” when they play live, but clearly this audience didn’t know who he was. Once he started though, he had their attention.
He has an impressive stage presence. He was last in Boston in October at Great Scott where he played a similar but longer set opening for Drag the River. John Snodgrass helping out on some vocals. But in both cases he followed a similar pattern. Branan’s genuinely a humble guy. He comes out, acoustic guitar in hand, looking the part of the humble singer/songwriter, folk artist. He apologizes to the audience for taking their time, and then proceeds to deliver a set that rocks like you would never expect an acoustic set to do. His fingers slide up and down his guitar, he strums or picks hard and fast, and his voice wails. It’s powerful and masculine, a real rock and rollers voice.
He’s a hell of a performer. He whips through songs like “A Girl Named Go” steadily picking up pitch and speed. volume as the girl name Go picks up speed in her car. “Tall Green Grass” he plays with with a humor and mirth. He played a new song from a forthcoming album, but gave no sense when it might be released.
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