Paolo Nutini,
Anya Marina and Nothing Rhymes with Orange
Paolo Nutini
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August 31st, 2009
The Culture Room, Ft. Lauderdale, FL
Review by Amilynn Soto
Photos by Kristi Camara
The line at Culture Room on August 31st was incredibly long with the most diverse group of people anticipating performances from Nothing Rhymes with Orange, Anya Marina and the most awaited performer, Paolo Nutini. This was the first stop in their American tour as they had just finished touring in Europe.
The first band of the night was Nothing Rhymes with Orange, a three-man group with sounds resembling that of Fuel with a combination of Staind and Nickelback. The second song they performed, “Escape Hell,” got at least some commotion from the crowd, but for the most part, the audience would simply bob their heads. For being practically unknown—they were pretty well liked by the audience. Their last song was “Classic.” The sound of the band was pretty generic, lacking uniqueness, but at least it was listenable, and the crowd was entertained.
Up next was Los Angeles native Anya Marina, whose music has been featured on television shows such as Grey’s Anatomy. Despite that recognition, her name is still rarely heard of because her music is quite unique and amazing. During the show, Marina performed alone. With her guitar and recorded accompaniment (which she played from her iPod), her interaction with the audience seemed like a hangout with friends. She was very charismatic and friendly.
The song everyone was pumped for was “New Shoes” which the crowd sang in synchronization and audibly enough that the people in the parking lot could hear it.
Anya Marina
Marina performed a significant amount of songs compared to Nothing Rhymes with Orange. As she sung “Clean and Sober” — a song for people who have been
through a breakup — it seemed as if she wrote the lyrics from experience. Although the audience didn’t really know the lyrics to her songs, they were attentive, swaying side to side with her songs, such as “Move You” and “All The Same to Me.”
Once Marina left the stage, everyone knew that the next act was the one and only Paolo Nutini. What was great about Nutini was that he had a seven-man ensemble; the variety of instruments blended together to form symphonious folk melodies throughout his act. He had a very distinct style compared to the other acts.
As far as the negative, Nutini seemed to be “somewhere else.” His lyrics were incoherent most of the time. Throughout the performances, he would be turned to the right, looking to some distant point in the crowd or would sometimes walk aimlessly around the stage with his back to the fans. This might’ve been his intention, but in either case, the crowd was roaring. Everyone was jamming like there was no tomorrow. The song everyone was pumped for was “New Shoes” which the crowd sang in synchronization and audibly enough that the people in the parking lot could hear it.
All in all, the concert was a success. Nutini’s passion for music becomes transparent when he performs on stage, his enthusiasm is apparent in his smile and expressions. And with newbie musicians Nothing Rhymes with Orange and the talented Anya Marina, the concert was very well worth the $20 spent.
Were you there? MySpace Us!
Paolo Nutini
Anya Marina