Last Tuesday night, Brad Byrd entered the stage at Hotel Utah with a calm self-assurance that carried throughout his entire set. Long, sonorous melodies floated atop driving rhythms powered not only by Byrd’s guitar, but also his feet: alternating between kick drum and tambourine. A chiller version of Dick Van Dyke in Mary Poppins.
Byrd’s music has that sort of rainy day quality: marked by subtle, soft-spoken melodies, perfect for a long drive or more active listening at home. There are some hints of Neil Young interspersed with a style that seems to be Byrd’s own. This music comes from the chiller side of life, which I am all for, but one thing I felt was missing from the set was some variation. What started out as soft and lulling sort of stayed soft and lulling. Peppering the set with some different rhythms or styles will really show his full range as an artist.
You can check out the video to “Back to Nowhere” here:
