There is nothing better than witnessing a band consisting of people who, through and through, love music and play for an appreciative audience.
The two main band members of Hudson Taylor, accompanied by their touring bandmates, did not disappoint on Monday night, May 20th, at The City Winery Loft, a small and intimate setting with communal seating around the stage with candlelight, flowing house wine and beer on tap. A truly romantic affair.
At 8 p.m., cue the opening act, Darryl Rahn, a young and budding singer-songwriter who plays with a country twang and nostalgic lyrics.
After the brief opener, Hudson Taylor took to the stage with an array of eclectic instruments from fiddles, to mandolins, to Irish drums. The multi-instrumentalists began their musical journey busking in the streets of their home town Dublin, Ireland. In fact, the title of their debut album, “Singing For Strangers” released in 2015, was named precisely for how it all started, literally singing for strangers on the streets of Dublin.
The audience was in awe not only of their Irish charm but also of their pure and unfettered talent. Switching from instrument to instrument, some I have never seen before, there was no denying their experienced instrumentalism. They even went a cappella a few times with vintage barber-shop type songs, consisting all four of the members singing and harmonizing around a single microphone.
They started with a slow acoustic version of the ballad “Old Soul” and to their more enthusiastic folk numbers such as “Battles” and “Feel It Again.” Their songs are full of contrasts: struggle and triumph, heartache and reconciliation, despair and hope, to name a few. The harmonies are layered and visceral, and the lyrics powerful and swelling. It is hard not to clap along and stomp your feet as they fervently strum, drum, and belt out these wonderfully uplifting songs.
Their new album is dropping soon, as they have been working on since touring in 2017. If you haven’t seen them yet, they will be playing at festivals all around Europe, in case you just so happen to be in the vicinity. Hudson Taylor certainly makes it tempting to hop across the Atlantic pond.
