Always feels so good to play at home
Is there any better feeling than playing for your home crowd? To know there have always been people who have cared about you, have always supported you? Even though you're living abroad for years, your roots are still there. These might be the feelings of Kerryman Brendan O'Shea who came along with Jenna Nicholls to play upstairs in Whelan's, Dublin, on November 4th. Jenna is an American but finds Ireland very welcoming and the audience has always embraced her like one of their own.
Jenna's voice is very bright and her jazzy style reminds you of the old movies of the 1920s or so. Her songs with ukulele would make a perfect soundtrack to them. When she picks up the guitar, the whole dynamic shifts but she still remains someone worth a listen. Brendan O'Shea is a gifted songwriter from Killarney living in New York for 20 years. This poet with a guitar has won the hearts of many people around the world over the years. His songs are incredibly crafted and you always feel his pride of being Irish in them. This time he returned to Ireland to introduce his latest album Midatlantic Ghost. Another beautiful collection of songs from an artist whose charisma and kindness instantly wins your heart. Once you connect with him it's forever. During his set he encouraged the audience to place a request for a song if they might have any. To fulfil one of the requests he played Hollow Moon from his first album In the light. The atmosphere was warm, everyone was having a good time and you felt like in someone's living room. Some in the audience travelled a long way to see the gig. Brendan mentioned his friends from Czech Republic and United States and how happy he is to see them. He also expressed how good it feels to play on the home soil again.
A night that fed listener's heart and ears.
