The group is made up of Toby Allen, Phil Burton, as well as brothers Andrew and Michael (“Mike”) Tierney.
They kicked off their set at 8 p.m. promptly with “Dance to the Music,” as blue and yellow lights dimmed from the stage. “How are you doing New York?” they asked.
Human Nature immediately broke into the oldie but goodie “Wonderful World.” “Good evening, B.B. Kings. How are you doing? We will take you on a journey in our jukebox. Let’s push play.”
They continued with “Earth Angel,” which Mike began a cappella, and it featured their soaring harmonies. “This is the second time we’ve played here at B.B. Kings,” Andrew said. “Every song that we are singing tonight has inspires us throughout our career,” he added.
Mike introduced the band members, where he described Phil as the “friendly one,” Toby as the “bass,” his brother Andrew as the “handsome one,” and finally, himself as the “cute Italian one,” though they are all Australian. Mike credited their residency at The Venetian in Las Vegas for bringing out his inner Italian.
Human Nature segued into a neat selection of songs from their Jukebox album, such as the Carole King-penned “Will You Love Tomorrow,” with Andrew singing lead, as well as the saxophone-driven “Under the Boardwalk,” where they were able to get their fans to snap their fingers throughout the performance. “Let’s go back to the Jukebox. All it takes is a dime and love in the lyrics,” Andrew said.
They incorporated a neat medley of Ben E. King’s “Stand By Me” and Sam Smith’s “Stay With Me,” which was controlled, expressive and euphonious. “This is the romance of the jukebox. Can you feel it?” Andrew asked, and his answer was a resounding “yes” from the B.B. Kings audience.
The band acknowledged chef Carla Hall, television personality from The Chew, who was present in the audience tonight, for being a supporter of their musical work.
They made their way into the crowd where they serenaded them to Ed Sheeran’s love ballad “Perfect.” They picked up the pace with “Why Do Fools Fall in Love,” as well as the upbeat “Shout,” with Phil on lead vocals, as brothers Mike and Andrew Tierney danced with the ladies in the audience.
The Aussie musicians allowed the audience to select their next song, in the style of a jukebox. One audience member, named Mike, randomly picked “(Your Love Keeps Lifting Me) Higher and Higher” by Jackie Wilson, and they delivered a solid rendition of the tune.
“Are you guys having fun?” Andrew asked, and the crowd gave them a raucous cheer of approval. They had their fans dancing along with them on “Twistin’ the Night Away.”
It was followed by several original Human Nature recordings, as well as such Motown hits as “Ain’t No Mountain High Enough” and the timeless standard “Unchained Melody.” No Human Nature concert is complete without them singing “Runaround Sue,” and they saved the Dion signature song for the end, where they left their fans wanting to hear more.
The Verdict
Overall, Human Nature was able to put on a fantastic live set at B.B. King Blues Club in New York City. They dusted off the doo-wop classics and other traditional pop hits and made them sound fun and refreshing. All four band members (Phil, Toby, Mike and Andrew) proved to be tremendous vocalists and charismatic performers. Their vocals were warm and nostalgic and the Australian vocal group gave New York City a great sample of what they can expect at their live show at The Venetian in Las Vegas as part of their residency. Human Nature’s show at B.B. Kings garnered five out of five stars.
To learn more about Human Nature and their touring schedule, check out their official website.
