Damien Rice Gets Personal During Brooklyn Performance
After bringing selections from his latest album, My Favourite Faded Fantasy, to the Apollo last November, Damien Rice returned to the Big Apple for a special performance at the Prospect Park Bandshell in Brooklyn on Wednesday evening (June 17).
Singer-songwriter Josh Ritter opened the show and played a number of new tunes along with some of his hits. Claiming that he has been "in the woods" for a while, he was clearly ecstatic to share the songs nature inspired him to write. With a big smile on his face, he feverishly played his acoustic guitar and sang about getting lucky, enjoying the simple things in life and his observations of the world around him. At the end of his set, he thanked the crowd and said, "I hope you all get lucky tonight!"
As the sun set and scattered rain drops sprinkled over the park, Irish troubadour Rice walked onto the stage and performed favorites like "Cannonball," "The Professor & La Fille Danse" and "The Blower's Daughter." With a couple of spotlights positioned around him, the sparse setup made the otherwise massive stage seem a little more intimate.
And that seemed to be fitting because he didn't just sing his songs – he also reminisced about his childhood while tuning his guitar. Before playing "Trusty and True" with a harmonium, Rice talked about growing up Catholic and the guilt that comes with it. "This song is about many things," he explained. "It's not just religious stuff, but that everything is a religious thing. It's a little about taking the things you've been given that made you feel guilty for something you've done – whether you've slept with your mother's friend or, you know, whatever."
That's what makes Rice's shows so engaging. Despite the emotional and, at times, sad songs he performs, there's a lightness in his show banter that puts you at ease and makes you chuckle from time to time. And even though his music is on the softer side, it's in those quieter moments that makes Damien shine and makes him worth seeing live. Check out photos of both Rice and Ritter below.