Under the vibrant and over-saturated lights of the Bottleneck, one of Lawrence’s brightest new stars continued to wow and impress the local audience on Saturday. Spencer Brown has a lot going for him right now, and this Bottleneck show was one of his best ones yet.

The local indie-folk rocker may be new on the scene (less than a year of performances as this act), but this sound has been in the making for a long time. “This is my band, but they’re pretty much my family,” he said as he waved his hand over the admirable posse of musicians backing him up. The crew onstage have been playing music with Spencer for nearly ten years, and you can tell. Their bond is tight, and they’re completely in tune with each other (musically and mentally).

One of Spencer’s most notable traits is his booming voice. It literally makes heads turn. Anyone who wasn’t paying attention before his set quickly whipped their gaze towards the stage when he started singing. Offstage, he’s quirky and charming. But onstage, the man is soulful and dramatic. It’s no wonder he’s making such an impact and Lawrence (and beyond).

Now if you’re wondering what Spencer Brown on steroids sounds like, look no further than The Delta Saints. Those fellas have been coming ’round these parts fairly regularly for years (thanks to their strong local connections).

The Saints bring it hard and reinvent Southern rock with an outstanding display of stamina and energy. Their fans like to bring it, too, and rock out hard. The venue was already fairly full at the start of the show, but by the time the band took the stage it was absolutely jam-packed. Fans were crammed in, standing on every chair and bench possible in an effort to take in the show. From their bluesy get-downs to their jazzy keyboard player, it was truly a sight to behold and a show that got your body moving. When the Delta Saints come marching in, everyone wants to be in that number.

Here’s what they started their set with:

Words and photos by Fally Afani