Article and Photos by: Nick Durcholz

Louisville, Ky – Just as the sun finally emerged after a seemingly endless spree of dejected days, Dean Lewis & Brett Dennen shone brightly on the intimate stage in bluegrass country.

Mr. Lewis skillfully blended accessible and interesting instrumentation with sharp, highly emotive vocals. While the lyrics weren’t necessarily ground-breaking, they were fresh and the feeling was ferocious. It was as if I had personally felt every single dark day this young man has had. Towards the end, I was lost in my own endocrine limbo timidly collecting my hopes and dreams after they had been stripped and scattered like leaves from trees after a tornado.

For every ounce of energy Lewis brought, Brett Dennen matched it. Albeit in a different way. After the dismal events of the past couple weeks, it was so nice to bask in the joyful, quirky tones of Mr. Dennen and friends. It was thrilling to hear “She’s Mine” as his old school catalogue was what hooked me initially. I expected solitary, acoustic Brett, but got shiny, four-piece Brett. Not at all disappointing in any way, just different. One thing is for sure, his soul and infectious eccentricity bared in his masterful lyrics filled the room.

So many feels in one night and a beautiful, cathartic one it was.