Photos & review: Shannon Shumaker
VIEW THE FULL PHOTO GALLERY HERE.
“If you enjoyed the show, tell everyone you fuckin’ know. If not, keep it to yourself.” Those were Lewis Capaldi’s parting words to the sold-out crowd at his first headlining gig in Denver, and despite how abrasive it might look on paper, the light-hearted jab perfectly suited the mood of the show. From the moment that he walked on stage to an all too epic intro (from the Star Wars: The Phantom Menace soundtrack, of all things) to the back and forth banter with the crowd, Capaldi balanced his set, which was filled with stunning yet somber tracks from his recently released album, Divinely Uninspired To A Hellish Extent, with a perfect amount of humor.
In fact, the only thing better than Capaldi’s live performance, which sounded just as good if not better than the album, was his stage presence. Only about five songs into his set, Capaldi spotted a small child in the crowd and, when requested, proceeded to take a few minutes to draw a picture of himself for him, asking, “How old are you, Atticus? Seven? I’m twenty-two, but I was seven once.” And once he gave the crowd an inch, they took a mille. During just about every single break in between songs, fans would shout at the singer, and instead of ignoring it as most artists do, Capaldi indulged his fans, even poking fun at a couple who got engaged during his set and apologizing that “all of these songs are about breakups.” Not only was the banter a nice lighthearted break between emotionally heavy songs, it also made the show feel incredibly intimate.
Capaldi also wasn’t too humble to brag about the fact that his single, “Someone You Loved” just reached number 3 on the Billboard Hot 100, jokingly boasting that he’s going to be America’s next sweetheart. Hell, even his merch reiterated it, and he walked back out on stage for his encore draped in an American flag. But if we’re being honest, he’s well on his way there. Despite his jokes in between songs, Capaldi was all business when he was singing, and despite the altitude, which he admitted had him winded by the end of the night, he put on the performance of a lifetime. (He only broke character once, laughing about a joke he had just told just after launching into “Bruises.”) If his show at The Ogden and “Someone You Loved” quickly climbing the charts is any indicator, it won’t be a surprise if the next time Lewis Capaldi returns to Colorado is to headline Red Rocks. And if so, that’ll only solidify his title of America’s Sweetheart.