Rock & Roll is alive and well, World’s First Cinema and Taylor Acorn proved that at Rebel Lounge on May 5th. There was an incredible energy, practically making the walls shake.
World’s First Cinema
A violin and a indie rocker walk into a bar, and World’s First Cinema is born. This band is so much fun, and Rebel Lounge definitely felt it.
I’ve seen violinists on stage before. But with John Sinclair, I was absolutely mesmerized by his playing, as was the rest of the crowd. He plays with such a passion, it’s beautiful. However, that passion doesn’t stop with the violin, it seeps into every part of his performance. There were so many moments where he had a smile on his face of pure joy looking into the crowd. His passion is matched only by his talent.
While Sinclair hyped the crowd up, guitarist Fil Thorpe filled the stage. He was so full of energy the entire set. Playing the guitar with such a grand physicality, it made you constantly look back and forth between him and Sinclair, not sure who to watch. Rebel Lounge is a very intimate venue, holding less that 500 people. It’s easy for artists to play smaller because of that. However, that’s not true for Thorpe or Sinclair. They made the stage feel wide, and even the crowd in the back was screaming for them.
Drummer Justin Nace has an insane talent with the drums. There were definitely a few times where my eyes were stuck on him, even while Thorpe and Sinclair were jumping around in my peripherals. I was almost worried he was going to break one of the toms. He plays with fervor, one you see in drummers often but never stops being beautiful to see. Drums are often the backbone of a song and when a drummer obviously cares about what he’s playing, it adds an intensity to the music that you feel best with live music.
This band absolutely rocked Rebel Lounge and created a perfect opening to the show.
Taylor Acorn
With a venue like Rebel Lounge, it’s rare to say a crowd is loud. But the sold out crowd got LOUD for Taylor Acorn. She burst onto the stage with a great energy, immediately jumping into the first song “Gray”.
Re: her Instagram, as well as her own words, Acorn hadn’t been feeling the best for a while. Phoenix was the 21st city out of 24 on the ‘Good Enough’ tour, so it’s easy to see how her health could take a hit. However, as she sang, it was hard to tell anything was wrong. There were high notes she wouldn’t hit but other than that, her voice sounded relatively strong and stable. When she finally addressed the crowd to say hi, her voice was raspy and soft. She let everyone know she wasn’t feeling the greatest and would need some help singing, which the excited audience was happy to do.
While I hope she finally got the rest and recuperation she needed after the tour, I commend her for not cancelling shows. She really cares about her fans. You can see this in her stage presence as well, constantly running up to them and singing with them.
The entire show her energy never diminished. And her band matched it completely. Guitarist RickyJab and drummer Connor Allen both were lively and animated. Jab was spinning and head-banging while Allen seemed particularly fond of drumstick tricks like spinning it and throwing it in the air while playing. They brought an amazing energy and helped elevate Acorn’s performance and the show in general.
Acorn is a delight to watch on stage. She’s expressive and engaging, making the show much more personal for her fans. It’s very obvious she loves performing and she’s incredibly comfortable on stage. The show was so fun and vibrant, massively due to Acorn’s spirit and the energy her band brought. And the sold out Rebel Lounge crowd definitely agreed. Her vocals, even while sick, were amazing and full of passion. She and her band put on an incredible show.
We can’t wait to see her with Dashboard Confessionals and Boys Like Girls on tour starting September 10th. They hit Arizona Financial on October 22nd! Grab your tickets here.
