Ron Pope at the Factory Theatre 7/6/14 - Live Review

Last Saturday I had the wonderful pleasure to travel down memory lane. The southern-rock vibes were flooding out the doors of the Factory Theatre in Enmore before the concert even began. The crowd was a mixture of people from pre-teens to their parents; the music was clearly aimed at a very vast target audience.

It was my first time at the Factory Theatre so I couldn’t exactly put my finger on the atmosphere. The Cam Nacson band took the stage around 8 o’clock and from then on I had no doubt that the positive energy seeping from the crowd would not diminish throughout the remainder of the night. Cam Nacson and the rest of his band had good vibes pouring out of them. I really cannot emphasise enough how enthusiastic everyone was. Their songs had a lovely hometown feel with calm begins and steady build-ups. Their range of instruments from classic acoustic guitar to violin highlighted not only their talent but also the extensive nature of the band. The harmonies provided were silky smooth and acted as the cherry on top of the perfect ice cream sundae.

Without listening to a significant amount of Pope’s songs apart from the classic ‘Drop in the Ocean’ and a couple odd songs from his albums here and there, I wasn’t entirely sure what to expect. Once he bounded on stage like a little puppy dog and the crowd went wild over his luscious locks and insane music ability I felt reassured that he would not disappoint. Growing up in the same small American town as Pope his rock/country/folk/multiplemoregenres brought my memories flooding back. It was crystal clear how his environment shaped his music. Once he whipped out the harmonica I was sure I was seven years old again sitting around the bonfire in my old house listening to the music whilst my marshmallow burned to a crisp.

The enthusiasm that both Pope and the crowd possessed ensured that the energy level never faltered to anything less than someone who had just won a free lifetime supply of pizza. His interaction and “I love you too’s” back to the crowd resulted in multiple high-pitched squeals from adoring fans. Despite the high-energy bouncing around the room, once technical difficulties were experienced and Pope unplugged his guitar and asked for silence, it was almost eerie. He was like a god; anything he asked for the crowd gave him. Once there was complete silence he delighted the crowd with a beautiful acoustic rendition of ‘Wherever You Go’ from his 2011 album ‘Whatever It Takes’.

Even though the music wasn’t from my most fancied genre, the excellent craft of the music and the delivery that came with it certified that I would still enjoy my night. For die-hard fans of Pope or those who I forced to accompany me (*cough* my gal Chloe *cough*) I can safely say that no one was let down by the show. So kudos to you Ron Pope and special guests Cam Nacson Band.

Set list:

Lick My Wounds

Tears of Blood

One Grain of Sand

Push Me Away

Atlanta

Fireflies

New Friends

I Don’t Mind

Back to Bed

Sometimes

Nothing

In My Bones

Everything

Wherever You Go

A Drop In The Ocean

Review by Sarah Hutt

Photos by Fletcher Crebert, view more here

#ronpope #camnacson #sarahhutt