Review & Photography by Alain Cruz
Hello, it’s Alain again with another one of my silly little reviews. Hopefully, I’m getting better at writing these things. I’m not a writer, after all. I’m a photographer, which feels a little pretentious to say, but here we are. This time, I’m reviewing Brenn, with Mor being the opener. And in a rare turn of events, I actually enjoyed the opener more than the main act. Don’t worry, I’ll still talk about the headliner, but I really want to focus on Mor because he genuinely blew me away.
As usual, let’s start with the venue. I feel like most of my little reviews begin this way, but what can I say I’m a creature of habit. The show was at the always wonderful Variety Playhouse, which is probably one of my favorite venues in all of Atlanta. I know I say that about a lot of places, but I genuinely mean it this time, too. There’s something about Variety Playhouse that feels so cozy and intimate. It’s the kind of place where you can see an artist who might one day become one of the biggest names in music. To me, playing here feels like one of those stepping stones toward something bigger. If an artist is performing at Variety Playhouse, I feel like they’re on the right track. It’s a beautiful venue, and its size makes it feel personal without taking away from the experience. As for the merch, it was fine. Nothing particularly groundbreaking, and some of it felt a little generic, but hey, merch is merch.
It’s time for Mor see what did there ok I’ll see myself out. No but seriously talk about an opener.
One of the first things that stood out to me was his sense of humor. Some artists crack a joke here and there between songs, but with Mor, I felt like comedy was genuinely one of his strengths. He had the audience laughing on several occasions, and those moments felt natural rather than forced. I wasn’t expecting to laugh as much as I did, but I did.
What really impressed me was the emotion he put into his music. Most artists try to convey emotion through their lyrics and performances, hoping to make the audience feel something. With Mor, it felt different. There was something about the way he played his guitar and sang that made every lyric feel personal. With every strum, I could feel the emotion behind what he was singing. I know that might sound a little strange, but I genuinely felt like I was up there on stage with him, singing my heart out.
It’s an interesting contrast with how I experience music in general. You can have an artist like Taylor Swift, who can seemingly release a new song every other week and constantly reinvent her sound trying to convey emotion, but that doesn’t necessarily mean I feel personally connected to every song. With Mor, I felt that connection almost immediately. His performance made the music feel less like something I was watching and more like something I was experiencing with him.
One of the highlights was his cover of Grave Digger by The Dave Matthews Band, a song I had never heard before. I wasn’t sure what to expect going into it, but it was genuinely beautiful. His vocal range was incredible,
and the way he delivered the song left a lasting impression on me. It was one of those moments when you realize an artist has something special, and you want to hear more.
His stage presence was another thing that caught me off guard. He carried himself like someone who had been performing for years, with a confidence and comfort on stage that made the entire set feel effortless. I believe he just put out his 1st album but he certainly didn’t come across as someone who was still figuring things out.
A fan gave him a hat, and Mor became visibly emotional. It was such a small, personal interaction, but it said a lot about the connection he had with the people in the room.And then, just when I thought his set couldn’t impress me much more, his guitar string broke is never ideal, especially when you’re performing in front of a crowd. But Mor handled it incredibly well and delivered his final song like a pro. Watching him recover from that moment only reinforced what I had already been thinking throughout the set: this guy is the real deal.
I’m glad I got to see him perform, and he’s definitely someone I’ll keep an eye on. Sometimes, you walk into a concert excited to see the headliner and leave having discovered someone entirely new. For me, Mor was that discovery.
Brenn was great, and I genuinely enjoyed his performance, too. He reminded me a lot of Noah Kahan, with an amazing vocal range and songs that are folk with unexpected sections of rock. He even had a banjo player, which you don’t really see in most bands.
I also enjoyed his interactions with the crowd, from talking about thrifting in little five points to sharing his love for cold fall weather. One of my favorite moments was when he explained the story behind Rookie of the Year, a song he made with Mor. It tied the two performances together in a really nice way.
Toward the end of his set, he played Rear View, and the crowd went absolutely crazy. Mor might have been my surprise favorite of the night, but Brynn definitely delivered as a headliner, too.
Leave a Reply