Milo and Otis (aka M & O) open the night. With two backup singers, this band focuses on the vocals. They were solid indeed, as shown during their cover of Hey Ya and the Acapulco finale (I think she meant a cappella).
Next up is a much smaller act. Taylor Berrett by himself on guitar. He is friendly with the crowd as he jokes the next song is one of the best songs ever written. He then clarifies that it is a cover and he’s not that pretentious. He goes on to play a lovely version of Blackbird by The Beatles. Afterwards, he encourages the audience to send him a message on social media. He promises to respond since he isn’t that famous. Let’s see if he responds this review!
Finally, Alex Clare takes the stage. He sings through his set heavily featuring his new album, Three Hearts, with a lot of soul and without many breaks. One of the few times he talks he is responding to a comment about his accent. You don’t get many British acts here, he asks. The answer is few enough that his accent is unique to the crowd. He closes his set with his hit “Too Close”. The crowd is pleased as he leaves the stage. The lights come on and it is clear there will be no encore. Perhaps this is because the Metro was only half full due to a high ticket price of $25 plus fees. After all, for his upcoming show in Salt Lake City, tickets are only $5. (http://smithstix.com/events/item/root/alex-clare-nov-22). Overall, it was a solid performance by an artist sharing his soul. Let’s hope he can sell out his next Chicago show!
PlaylistHQ 