Passenger
13th November 2018
Powerstation, Auckland, New Zealand.
Review by Lauren Sanderson. Photography by Chris Zwaagdyk.
British singer-songwriter Mike Rosenburg, otherwise known as the much-loved Passenger kicked off his tenth studio album ‘Runaway’ tour, playing a sold-out gig at Auckland’s Powerstation last night. The singer-songwriter disappeared off the scene for a while, but boy are we glad that he’s back, for he certainly came back with a bang!
Warming up the crowd tonight was the Kiwi folk artist Luke Thompson – another artist who took some time away from the scene to decompress and came back with a brilliant album. Playing songs from said album he was the perfect accompaniment to the main event.
For everyone who knows the Powerstation, you know it’s an intimate space, but last night things got even more intimate as the crowd united to show their love for the 34-year-old singer. As he entered the stage alone, the room lit up with smiles and he began to play a song from his 2010 album ‘Divers and Submarines’; ‘Fairytales and Firesides’ echoed around the room and captivated us all from start to finish.
As the crowd settled he explained that it would just be him and his guitar tonight instead of his usual band, making a joke he said, “sorry there will be no refunds.” To be honest, I was slightly sceptical when I read that it was just going to be a solo performance from the Brit, but more fool me as I certainly won’t be asking for any refunds, in fact I feel slightly silly for doubting him. Not only does Rosenburg possess an incredible tone to his voice, but he was also blessed with wit as he had non-stop banter with the crowd all night, even joking about being known for his one and only hit single (we disagree, obviously!).
Rosenburg Is very humble and that Is rare to see on stage, I like the fact that he still busks and is a real people pleaser. He began to tell us about a time when he was busking in Scotland and he met a homeless man called David outside of his hostel and after having numerous conversations together, he dedicated his next song ‘David’ to him.
To add again to the list of his many talents, Rosenburg is an epic showman. He is very clever and knows how to command the stage not only with his music ability but through the art of storytelling. After all who doesn’t love a good story! This one had to be a favourite – during his first gig in Vancouver he clocked eyes with a girl as she was in mid-sneeze and he could tell that she was trying so hard to hold it in and not make a noise, to the point her eyes nearly bugled out of her face. Random yes, but brilliant!
‘Life’s for living’ was up next, where Rosenburg showcased his guitar skills. He then went on to introduce his new album ‘Runaway’ – in which he jokes “It’s my tenth album, although most people think it’s my second”. The atmosphere soon shifted as he began to tell a story that really hit home about his grandparents being refugees during the war and how they moved to New Jersey where his dad grew up on a chicken farm and their journey to find freedom, ‘To be Free’ was beautifully performed and certainly opened our hearts and our minds.
His cover of Simon and Garfunkel’s ‘The Sound of Silence’ has the crowd chanting, whilst his track ‘I hate’ rang true for a lot of us and had the audience in stitches. ‘Survivor’ followed and again Rosenburg charmed us by saying “Not the Destiny’s Child version”, but then he proceeded to give us his rendition of Bootylicious, were he even let out a cheeky twerk. His new song ‘Susan’ brought things down a notch, but that didn’t last too long as the much-loved hit ‘Let Her Go’ played and was exactly how I imagined it to sound, if not better! The crowd sang every word and held the fort while Rosenburg took a well-earned sip of water. It was the perfect reminder as to why we fell in love with him in the first place.
The last song of the night ‘Scare Away the Dark’ was the perfect closing song as the crowd continued to sing as he left the stage, there were no crazy screams of encore, yet a peaceful sing-along to a great track. It paid off as Rosenburg returned to the stage grinning from ear to ear, he said “I wasn’t going to do an encore, but you’re so amazing – I fucking love you Auckland”, he then proceeded to play the Bruce Springsteen classic ‘Dancing in the Dark’. Well Passenger if you hadn’t quite realised, the feeling is mutual.
He’s got a voice like an angel and jokes like a dad, but we love you Passenger and we already look forward to your return.
Were you there at the Powerstation for this intimate folk rock show? Or have you seen Passenger perform live somewhere else before? Tell us about it in the comments below!
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