Concert Review: Brett Dennen, March 4, 2009, The Bottleneck, Lawrence
8.5 out of 10
Our attendance of Brett Dennen's most recent show in Lawrence, Kansas marked the second time that my husband and I have been entertained by Dennen & Company. Dennen took the stage wearing an oversized flannel (reminiscent of Al Borland from Tool Time) and as usual, without shoes.
Initially, Dennen started off slowly, or perhaps, the crowd was just not ready. After 3 or 4 songs however, he began to find his groove and his voice really found it's strength. Soon the songs were flowing. His voice comes across in a very soulful manner with a nice range not expected from a 6'5", 29 year old red head. Dennen was soon dancing to his own songs and his excitement could be felt by almost everyone in the place.
Dennen's own song "Make You Crazy" employs listeners to "Speak your mind, speak your hearts" even if they will "call you crazy" and Dennen did just that after an hour or so of playing. His only interaction with the crowd consisted of a 5-minute emotional outpouring concerning one's own personal trials and struggles and rising out of those a stronger person. Some of those in the audience were irritated by the reflection, while others were very in-tune to everything he was saying. I personally connected to the things he said and enjoyed how he mended into the show.
If you would like to learn more about Dennen, his music and organizations he supports please check out his site;