Cabrera kicked off his acoustic set with “Exit to Exit,” which ironically enough was the same song that he dedicated to this journalist last summer, when he played the NYCB Theatre at Westbury with 98 Degrees, Dream and O-Town. It is safe to say that he sounded as great as ever. “Happy Saturday y’all,” he said. “This place makes me want to fucking party,” he added, praising Mulcahy’s.
He took his fans on a trip down memory lane to his debut studio album Take It All Away with such songs as “Shame on Me” and the infectious “40 Kinds of Sadness.” He also treated his fans to a few songs from his Wake Up Beautiful EP, including “I See Love” and “House on Fire,” the latter of which was a No. 1 hit for Cabrera on the Billboard Dance Club charts.
Equally fun was the inclusion of the laid-back tune “Whatever, Whenever.” He even covered songs by such musical acts as Goo Goo Dolls’ “Slide,” Third Eye Blind’s “Semi-Charmed Life” and “The Fresh Prince of Bel Air” theme song, where the crowd went nuts, as they had a a retro, 90’s vibe to them.
The ballad “True” was one of the highlight songs of the night, where he encouraged everybody to take their iPhones out, in an effort to light up the venue. “I want to make Long Island look strong,” he said. “Take your phones out Strong Island!”
Cabrera closed with his signature song, the mid-tempo “On The Way Down,” where everybody was singing along with him, and with a cover of Stevie Wonder’s “Superstition.” “Thank you so much for having me,” he concluded.
The Verdict
Overall, Ryan Cabrera was able to rock Mulcahy’s Pub and Concert Hall, and he made the audience feel nostalgic thanks to his soothing vocals. His acoustic set garnered an A rating.
