I'm not much of a concert girl. Everyone I would go to see is either no longer touring, too expensive, or dead. But when my good friend told me that Scottish singer/songwriter Paolo Nutini was coming to town (and that tickets were only $20) my interest was piqued.
The concert took place last Thursday, October 11 at the Pabst Theater in Milwaukee. They were selling T-shirts and beverages in the lobby. By 8pm, everyone was seated to listen to the opening act, Serena Ryder. Following her was Jon McLaughlin, who is a fantastic live performer (check out "Human (Live)").
Final Performer: Paolo Nutini
After a 20 minute wait (including a few minutes of listening to the lead-in: the theme from Rocky) Paolo Nutini and his band mates finally came out. Without formal introduction, they started with some of their more high-energy songs.
For the first half of the show, he just didn't seem, well, all there. Was it drugs? Drunkenness? The accent? My imagination? There seemed to be different reactions in the audience on that one.
The last half of the show went a lot smoother. A fast paced cover of "Bang Bang (My Baby Shot Me Down)" was memorable. I especially enjoyed the slow, poignant "Autumn," a song about his grandfather. The last song, "Funky Cigarette," is from his upcoming album and has a folk/country sound that is surprisingly catchy.
So who is Paolo Nutini?
And what's the main draw? A few quick facts to bring you up to speed:
- Well known in the UK. His single "Last Request"(video) reached #5 on the charts there for 2006.
- He's only 20.
- His father is of Italian descent, hence the last name. However, his father's family has been living in Scotland for four generations. (source)
Aside from the songs, I was initially drawn to his voice. His official website describes it as soulful. I can only personally describe it as...interesting, sort of raspy. I also like his personal style. He wears a lot of what I recognize as "Italian" colors: olive greens and dark reds.
