It is no secret that the British music scene has always made its way across the Atlantic to invade America. Fresh on the map this year is the ever soulful singer-songwriter Sam Smith. His sweet, humble demeanor emits the most unassuming presence, but his voice is undoubtedly a diamond in the rough. After piercing the MTV VMA’s pre-party at the Avalon on Friday night and the VMA ceremony on Sunday with powerful performances, he made one final stop at the Red Bull Sound Space in Culver City for a mini concert and a fan Q&A before jet setting out of LA.
The modest space spares no vacancies as Sam Smith and a few accompanying musicians take the stage. His short, sweet set begins with “Nirvana.” One album in, and it is more than blatant that his talent is effortless. The melodies, lyrics and vocals all impress and ring a universal tone for all broken hearts. Picture a male Adele.
His voice smoothly calms the room and iPhones flood the air with Snapchats and Instagram-worthy shots galore. Between songs, he happily greets the crowd and mentions how he has had a few “manic” days. He gleefully announces that he met Beyonce yesterday at the VMAs – a culminating fan moment for him, no doubt. The British heart-breaker closes with a warm engaging rendition of “Stay with Me,” his third single off his debut record In the Lonely Hour. The room hangs on every lyric til he commissions everyone to sing along with the final chorus.
Still freshly buzzed from the set, the audience eagerly participates in a Q&A portion which basically turns into an opportunity for 5-6 fans to take get on stage, ask a question, and take selfies with Smith. He stresses that he enjoys this part because he wants to be able to meet and interact with his fans. This humble approach solidifies his status as an ultimate sweetheart. When asked who some of his greatest musical influences are, he asserts that he cannot listen to male singers. He only follows the work of all of the divas such as Amy Winehouse, Whitney Houston and Chaka Khan. Smith charms the crowd more when he mentions that he would love to collaborate with Ed Sheeran and, of course, his homegirl Beyonce. The fan question portion does not last long as Smith quickly exits to head for the airport and on to the next gig. Certainly, his talent reaches the caliber of all his idols, and his music may translate for years to come. For those who still need to catch Sam Smith in the flesh, he is performing at the Greek twice next month.
Set list
Nirvana
Leave Your Lover
I’m Not the Only One
Stay with Me
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