On a rainy Wednesday night in New York City, Oregon-based singer Searows serenaded a sold-out crowd. From powerful ballads to melancholic and quiet songs, Searows captured the crowd’s attention from beginning to end. The singer provoked emotional responses from the audience with songs such as “House Song” and “Keep the Rain”, well-known heart-wrenching singles. Opening up the show were the first 3 tracks off Death in the Business of Whaling, Belly of the Whale, Kill What You Eat, and Photograph of a Cyclone. This set the tone for the night, so much emotion and vulnerability coming from the stage. The choice of lighting created an atmosphere of warmth and gloom that invited everyone to put themselves into Searows’ shoes for the night, feeling every bit of feelings he projected. Getting to see Searows live is something that I think everybody should experience at least once in their lifetime.
Watching him pour his heart into the songs and interacting with fans is a rare feat nowadays, showcasing how down-to-earth and raw this up-and-coming artist truly is. “Death in the Business of Whaling” is the latest release of Searows, and he performed nearly the entirety of it, as this tour was to celebrate the release. This pleased the crowd, watching them get emotional and empathetic, with some even shedding tears. I knew that this was exactly what should happen at a show with so much yearning and sadness in the air. The 13-song setlist, accompanied by 2 encores, kept everyone engaged and attentive from front to back. He closed the set with his most popular song, and the main reason for his quick rise to fame, “House Song”, with lyrics such as “Something is rotten inside of me, I have to find it and cut it out”, absolutely wrecking the audience and finishing an already overwhelmingly devastating performance with so much beauty and grace.
- Natalie Pierce
Photos Courtesy of Natalie Pierce (For Bell Music Magazine)
