On Sunday, February 9th, Grammy-nominated singer and actor Brent Comer (of the Tony award-winning Broadway musical “The Outsiders”) headlined 54 Below in New York City for a great turnout.
Comer was joined by Benjamin Rauhala as his musical director on the piano, as well as Matt Beck on the guitar, Jamie Eblen on the drums, and Alexandra Eckhardt on the bass.
Comer kicked off his set with “Sugar, We’re Goin Down” in a true Vans Warped Tour fashion, where he was able to instantly lure his audience in his show.
“What’s up 54 Below?” he asked. “This is my second concert ever,” he admitted, and went on to introduce his band members. He went on to share a little bit about himself, and noted that he hails from Frederick, Maryland, and that he is the youngest of three brothers.
Comer immediately broke into “The Boogie Room Medley,” where he tipped his hat to the iconic southern rock group The Marshall Tucker Band with “Can’t You See,” as well as “Rocket Man” by Elton John, The Eagles’ “Take It Easy,” and “Feels like the First Time” by Foreigner, the latter of which he dubbed as his “father’s favorite song.”
Musical director Benjamin Rauhala went on to welcome us all to the “Comer Ball,” especially since this solo concert at 54 Below coincided with this year’s Super Bowl.
He continued by performing songs that “indoctrinated” him into the musical theatre realm. These included “Do You Hear the People Sing?” from “Les Misérables,” “If I Loved You” from “Carousel,” “Music of the Night” from “The Phantom of the Opera,” as well as the hilarious “La Vie Bohème” from “Rent,” which resonated well with the crowd.
Comer also took on the role of Warner Huntington III in his performance of “Serious” from “Legally Blonde,” which was a great deal of fun.
He honored both Luke Combs and Tracy Chapman with his soaring version of “Fast Car,” and delivered a commanding vocal on the piano-laden “Someone to Fall Back On.” “This song means a lot to me,” he expressed.
After a sip of water, he segued into “Darrel’s Dirty Work Medley,” which was impressive and entertaining… he even included a cover of Dolly Parton’s “9 to 5.”
Comer also discussed the process of landing the role of Darrel Curtis in “The Outsiders,” a role he has been playing for the past year.
The character of Darrel is quite complex because he is stuck between the role of a brother and a father.
One of the highlight songs in his set was his expressive rendition of “I Dreamed a Dream” from “Les Misérables,” which received an enormous response.
This song, in particular, was special to Comer, because “Les Misérables” was the first musical he ever saw, so this marked a full circle moment.
Comer invited Daniel Marconi on the 54 Below stage for “Young Man” (by Jamestown Revival), and they performed a glorious duet together, featuring their velvet, soulful harmonies.
While he had Marconi on stage with him, Comer keep him there, and surprised him by having the audience sing him “Happy Birthday” since it will be Marconi’s birthday tomorrow.
His “Love Medley” featured a brilliant interpolation of such songs as Maroon 5’s “Sunday Morning,” Billie Eilish’s “Birds of a Feather,” and Cyndi Lauper’s ethereal “Time After Time.”
After a soothing rendition of the soft rock ballad “Desperado” by The Eagles, Comer closed with “Stay Gold” from “The Outsiders” musical, where he invited Marconi on stage with him to sing Ponyboy’s (Brody Grant) vocal parts. Everybody’s phones lit up during this song, and it earned him a standing ovation.
“Thank you so much for coming out tonight,” he said, effusively.
The Verdict
Overall, Brent Comer was superb at 54 Below in Manhattan. He made the audience feel as if they were in his living room, and he appeared comfortable on stage; moreover, he maintained solid control over his dynamic voice, which is smooth as silk.
He interacted well with the fans, and they inevitably loved him in return. It is highly recommended that one sees Brent Comer next time he performs in a live setting. His solo concert at 54 Below garnered two giant thumbs up. Well done.
Hopefully, this is a harbinger of more great and quality things to come from Comer in the future.
To learn more about Brent Comer, follow him on Instagram.
