The Hope, 20th April

Famed for his well-honed guitar skills and captivating lyrics, Norah Jones’ lead guitarist Adam Levy promised to make for an enchanting headliner. XYZ’s Lisa Crews paid a visit to The Hope to sample another night of Club Kong entertainment.

With Sunday evening arguably designed to be spent on the sofa, it was perhaps unsurprising that the 90-capacity venue began noticeable thin on the ground. Acoustic rock trio Shiseido Red opened the evening to a smattered but loyal audience but it was Emily Baker’s performance that pulled the heartiest crowd. Dubbed Brighton’s most sought-after female artist, this girl and her guitar captured the stage well. A skilled musician with lyrics rolling from the heart and strung together with nifty eccentricities, her music had an appealing honesty.

Plucking notes strung with emotions, Adam Levy opened his set without so much as an introduction. Feeling the strings like a well-known lover, Adam’s exact notes and weighted beats can’t help but please. Once warmed up, his skill, humour and audience interplay commanded the stage. However, later in the set he must have sensed the audience was not for him and his confidence appeared depleted. Whether this shyness was just his ‘way’, I couldn’t help but crave more of a performance.

Despite a pesky pillar hindering the view from stools and sofas and preventing me from enjoying the soothing tones from the comfort of my lazy butt, the evening was an altogether enjoyable one. If you’re looking for some tunes to sit back and let the waves of time wash over you by, then Adam Levy is your guy.

Words by Lisa Crews
Photos by Bill Thomson