Benny Sings @Gretchen in Berlin
All of the necessary security measures in place, we entered Gretchen last night after what seemingly felt like a lifetime without any live concerts. The Dutch singer, songwriter, and producer primarily played tunes from his last two Stones Throw LPs, “City Pop” (2019), and “Music” (2021). The group met an overwhelming and hyped-up crowd at the hip Kreuzberg club, which was not filled to maximum capacity, presumably another security and safety measure. Benny on guitar and vocals and his group of musicians with bass, drums, backing vocals, and trumpet wowed the audience with a high-energy show including lots of his uptempo dance tunes like “Sunny Afternoon” or “Nobody’s Fault”.
If you find his voice a bit quirky on record, like one of my accompanying friends mentioned while listening to the opening act, you will realize that his live performance and vocals are pretty soulful, strong and powerful, with lots of twists and turns, always oozing fun and consistency at the same time. His perfect little pop songs, destined to become classics in the future, worked amazingly well during his set. Since all of them clocking in at or around the three minute mark, the show never really had its lengths or filler moments. Instead, Benny focussed on the stories of his songs and the impact they unfold when they don’t get the elongated live treatment.
Treat yourself to some invigorating pop music if you’re anywhere near these cities in the next few days/weeks:
10/25 Hamburg – Nachstspeicher
10/27 Antwerp – Trix
10/28 Leuven – Het Depot
10/30 Paris – La Maroquinerie
11/06 Benidorm – Primavera Weekender
11/12 London – Lafayette
11/19 Haarlem – Alles Is Nu Festival
11/20 Lisbon – Super Bock Em Stock Festival
12/07 New York – Le Poisson Rouge
12/08 Cambridge – The Sinclair
12/10 Montreal – Le Petit Campus
12/11 Toronto – Adelaide Hall
12/13 Vancouver – The Biltmore Cabaret
12/14 Seattle – The Crocodile
12/15 Portland – Doug Fire Lounge
12/17 Los Angeles – Troubadour
12/18 San Francisco – The Independent