Sister Hazel began their set with the upbeat “Happy,” which they incorporated as a crowd sing-along. “C’mon, get them up,” lead singer Ken Block said, encouraging the fans to wave their hands up in the air.
“Am I doing good?” Block asked the audience, prior to noting that they are from Gainesville, Florida, from the “Sunshine State.” They immediately broke into “Shame,” as the stage was graced in red lights, and it ended in a neat jam.
“Thank you all very much,” Block said. “Guess who’s got a new CD? We do, we do,” Block sang, and continued with the autobiographical “Kiss Me Without Whiskey,” which was uptempo and fun.
Block shared that Sister Hazel has been a band for 21 years, and they are extremely grateful for their fans, and that is a “beautiful thing,” as they segued into “Beautiful Thing,” which featured Drew Copeland and Jett Beres on backing vocals.
Blue and purple lights dimmed on the stage, they performed “We Got It All Tonight,” and they praised the crowd for “having some singers here tonight.” They changed the pace of their set with the tender ballad “Your Winter,” and Copeland and Block subsequently sang co-lead vocals on their new single “That Kind of Beautiful.”
“Champagne High” resonated well with the crowd. They began the solo with a keyboards solo and Block on acoustic guitar, and towards the end, the entire band joined in, and their soaring harmonies blended well together.
Copeland nailed the lead vocals on the acoustic ballad “Something To Believe In,” as the audience lit up their iPhones during this performance, which was a beautiful sight at Gramercy Theatre.
They had the fans clapping along to the mid-tempo “Mandolin Moon” and they were infectious on the new tune “Run Highway High,” as Beres, Copeland and Block showcased their smooth vocals.
“Change Your Mind” served as their attitude adjustment song, and their signature song, “All For You” garnered an enormous response from the audience, thus bringing a feeling of nostalgia in the venue.
Sister Hazel closed with “Take It With Me” and they returned for an encore that included “This Kind of Love,” “Danger is Real” and “Swan Dive.”
The Verdict
Overall, Sister Hazel put on a highly effective live concert at Gramercy Theatre in New York. They interacted well with the crowd, and thanks to their warm and captivating vocals, they were able to bring their fans back to simpler times in the ’90s. All five musicians proved to be at the top of their game, from an instrumental and vocal standpoint. The new songs they debuted proved that their new album, Lighter in the Dark, is very promising. Their New York show garnered 5 out of 5 stars.
