Underground Legend Jeffrey Lewis made a very welcome return to Dublin with a set in The Button Factory Tuesday night to promote the release of his new album “A turn in the dream-songs”. The album was released on October 10th and has gone down very well with fans if the gig was anything to go by.
He has stuck to his winning formula of catchy and often humorous lyrics, enchanting riffs, and memorable visuals. The lyrics have a striking poetry and there is hidden meaning to be found in every line, soaring acoustic sound and a powerful percussion line accompanied Jeffrey’s stunning vocal and guitar style to create a sound that fans new and old are sure to love.
I was anticipating an intimate set and because the gig was held in The Button Factory and I was not disappointed. I regard it as one of the best venues in Dublin as it has an intimate setting and a perfect viewing spot no matter where you are located. He arrived on stage to a near empty crowd but as soon as he broke into the opening notes of “The upside down cross” the crowd flocked out from the bar like zombies, something Jeffrey himself remarked upon with a smile.
As expected Jeffrey reeled out the new material and won over fans with some of the songs that are bound to end up as new fan favourites. He did however delve into his earlier material such as “Roll bus roll” and “Broken broken heart” and “No lsd tonight” which went down very well with the crowd. The crowd hung on his every word and in between songs the interaction and involvement he had with the crowd was unparalleled.
As well as creating music Jeffrey is also an accomplished comic book writer/artist and he impressed fans with a very creative rendition of “The renaissance” complete with an accompanying video composed of comics he created and illustrated himself. He also performed Jeff Buckley’s classic “Mojo pin” with a literal interpretation of the song by showing the crowd slides which he also created and illustrated himself. It was very creative and is a clear indicator about why he has made such a name for himself, and is more than just another singer/songwriter in the eyes of those lucky enough to have discovered him. He played a long and energetic set and the crowd were very disappointed to see him go when it all came to an end.
The set was a pleasant mix of new and old and I definitely think that the new material will finally help him gain some of the recognition that he deserves over here. I was seriously impressed by what I seen and I hope that it won’t be the last time he visits our shores.