Sam Buckingham, Jessica Cerro @ Hiberian House, Sydney (03/08/2013)
On her Australian Tour, Sam Buckingham ventures back into her hometown to put on a show at The Hibernian House in Surry Hills. The venue offered a small and intimate space that takes advantage of the contrast of candle light against the nightlife of the city. This warm and relaxing place of residence (The venue is literally someone’s home) was no stranger for Sam.
To open up the night, young singer/song-writer Jessica Cerro expressed the woes of the teenage life through her strong fierce voice. Basing a lot of her material from her current struggles with high school life, her expression represented how dearly she felted about her material and is clear why she supported Sam tonight. I Am Not at the End tells the tale of facing uncertainty after one segment of life and I felt I gained some perspective from Jessica, though situations may be different, her music imparted some wisdom to the audience.
With Jessica tearing the audience apart with her powerful ballads, it was time for Sam to take the stage and transform the night into a sing-a-long and heavily social experience. The intimate setting reflected Sam’s raw and inviting personality.
Sam noted that the performance will be a complete run through of her new album I’m a Bird but I assure you this was nothing you could have expected from her recorded material. Not only can Sam go beyond her album, this folk songstress doubles as an excellent story-teller. Opening with the titular track I’m a Bird the tone is already set for the night, smooth guitar playing overlay-ed with soft vocals. You’re completely at ease as the music was so easy on the ears; it was bliss to experience Sam’s expressive sound.
The unexpected highlight of the night was most definitely Sam’s rendition of the theme song for Fresh Prince of Bel Air; nothing is more compelling to watch than a well-known song that is revitalized through the wonders of Folk music. Sam made this song her own yet managed to keep the comedic elements of it and this can only be attributed to her supreme showmanship skills.
Overall all, the performance was more a casual gathering of friends than a show. There were no formalities, just the enjoyment of solid music that really had the audience involved with every minute of the show. It was a stellar performance that really left everyone wanting more of this incredible artist.
Scott Singh
To open up the night, young singer/song-writer Jessica Cerro expressed the woes of the teenage life through her strong fierce voice. Basing a lot of her material from her current struggles with high school life, her expression represented how dearly she felted about her material and is clear why she supported Sam tonight. I Am Not at the End tells the tale of facing uncertainty after one segment of life and I felt I gained some perspective from Jessica, though situations may be different, her music imparted some wisdom to the audience.
With Jessica tearing the audience apart with her powerful ballads, it was time for Sam to take the stage and transform the night into a sing-a-long and heavily social experience. The intimate setting reflected Sam’s raw and inviting personality.
Sam noted that the performance will be a complete run through of her new album I’m a Bird but I assure you this was nothing you could have expected from her recorded material. Not only can Sam go beyond her album, this folk songstress doubles as an excellent story-teller. Opening with the titular track I’m a Bird the tone is already set for the night, smooth guitar playing overlay-ed with soft vocals. You’re completely at ease as the music was so easy on the ears; it was bliss to experience Sam’s expressive sound.
The unexpected highlight of the night was most definitely Sam’s rendition of the theme song for Fresh Prince of Bel Air; nothing is more compelling to watch than a well-known song that is revitalized through the wonders of Folk music. Sam made this song her own yet managed to keep the comedic elements of it and this can only be attributed to her supreme showmanship skills.
Overall all, the performance was more a casual gathering of friends than a show. There were no formalities, just the enjoyment of solid music that really had the audience involved with every minute of the show. It was a stellar performance that really left everyone wanting more of this incredible artist.
Scott Singh