As Sunday night emerged, most of the Madison campus was relatively quiet. Students remained indoors, cramming for the last round of midterms before the glorious face-stuffing that is Thanksgiving. But travel only a stone’s throw over the capital, and a select few were gathered for a performance from twenty-four-year-old, Trevor Hall. They certainly received what they sought. Hall did not attempt to solely promote an album or please critics, but gave back to the fans with a simple and intimate concert. Being the second-to-last show of what Trevor admitted to be a long and draining tour, Hall mustered whatever energy he had left to show his appreciation.
Hall had the crowd engaged from the very beginning. Starting with an older track “Internal Heights,” fans appropriately mimicked Hall when he sang “maintain internal heights.” Aided by the lower-set stage in the tightly packed Majestic Theater venue, there existed a symbiotic intimacy between Hall and his audience. Both fed off each other’s energy and emotion; however, the fans did not hesitate gave back a little extra. By the time Hall performed the commercial single “Brand New Day” off his newest album Everything Everytime Everywhere, the audience showed no hesitation in a synchronized fist pumping, a small performance of their own.
Hall’s most memorable instance of fan appreciation was when he invited a young boy, Jack, up on stage to sing along. Jack sang every song word for word in the front row, and it was obvious Hall was touched by this, enough to share the microphone with the boy for the song “Om Shaki Om.” Jack threw his arms up in the air to the beat, ecstatic, drawing blissful gazes away from the headliner. Any musician could pull a child from the crowd in order to look good, but Hall’s genuine interest in the little boy’s happiness negates any possibility of this. When any other performer would have “shooed” the kid off-stage to finish the song, Hall let Jack stay.
Hall and his three-man accompaniment were a successful synthesis that demonstrated talent without being overbearing. The quality of Hall’s vocals was identical to that of his most professional recordings, a quality that is greatly underappreciated in a currently auto-tuned industry. Hall’s guitar playing was simple, but his accompanying guitarist, Aaron Dugan, is talented. Dugan laid riffs that built complexity as song build-ups progressed, stimulating audience screams and shouts of approval. Dugan has also played with Matisyahu (“Light”), who unfortunately, was not present to perform his part on Hall’s song “Unity.”
The encore performance only lasted two songs, but deservedly so after the twelve song set prior to it. Hall first played “Te Amo,” then “Lime Tree,” which fans had been screaming for all night – to the point where Hall told the audience to stop shouting requests.
After the show, fans stuck around for a chance to meet and speak with Hall. Hall did not disappoint, as he stood by the door until everyone in line had gone through. This selfless act is something as signature to Hall as his choice to perform barefoot. It is only one of the many reasons that Hall has won over and kept the hearts of so many faithful fans.
Hall’s latest album Everything Everytime Everywhere was released Aug. 19.
