The White Buffalo O2 Academy Review
Posted on: 2018-04-23
Our rating:
Smith's voice is immensely beautiful, delivering every emotional lyric effortlessly, keeping the crowd completely mesmerized and transporting everyone into his world.
Friday brought us the hottest day of the year so far in Bristol. Summer was in the air creating a perfect atmospheric evening to watch American country rock/folk artist Jake Smith, (stage name The White Buffalo), play at The O2 Academy.
With five studio albums under his belt and widely recognised for his music being featured on the biker TV series Sons of Anarchy, Jake Smith is one incredible singer/songwriter with every song telling heart-felt stories of love, war and realistic American family life.
Heading to the top level of the venue, support band Chicago based blues indie-rock Alice Drinks The Kool-Aid had started their set. It was a fitting choice enhancing the American-country theme, but in all honesty, it was a pretty bland forgettable set.
The crowd waited in anticipation for Smith to grace the stage. As we moved to the lower level to join the front of the crowd, (which was a much better spot), Smith and his band arrived to a wonderful cheer from the audience.
Smith's voice is immensely beautiful, delivering every emotional lyric effortlessly, keeping the crowd completely mesmerized and transporting everyone into his world. He is a fantastic showman dominating the stage with his charisma with clear passion for his ballads, headbanging to the heavier guitar riffs and genuinely having a brilliant time sharing his tales.
Playing a well-balanced set of slower ballads with up-tempo tunes, with songs standing out such as Avalon, a lively, happy song from his latest album and The Whistler, that had the whole crowd in complete silence impressed with Smith's haunting whistling. Of course, his songs from Sons of Anarchy were very popular with Come Join the Murder having many overcome with emotion.
It was a mixed crowd with many stood still during the gig not seeming very lively, looking back perhaps the reason for this was Jake Smith's ability to grab and hold your attention with his outstanding vocal abilities combined with his gripping emotive lyrics.
The whole set was incredible from start to finish, probably the best of the year. I urge everyone to experience The White Buffalo live, it really was a sensational experience.
Article by:
Bristol born and bred. Massive cocktail and music lover, enjoys capturing and writing about life in the city.
