Live Review: Cash Savage & The Last Drinks, East Brunswick All Girls Choir, Leah Senior

Without question, on paper and in practice, Leah Senior is the most quiet and delicate name on tonight's bill, but she manages to make a connection with the audience. Senior's powerful voice is the drawcard and this young folk songstress clearly has opportunities on the horizon.

East Brunswick All Girls Choir have been rather reclusive over the past few months, and it is with great pleasure when they are welcomed back tonight. Drawing largely from their 2014 LP Seven Drummers, some newer material the band have been working on also makes an appearance, falling on a slow-build songwriting style. Augie March influences/comparisons rear up the most here, though that shouldn't be a deterrent. The group's attempted interactions with the audience, during between-song banter, are smothered by crowd-produced white noise (a recurring theme of the evening). Unfortunately, the crowd doesn't appreciate East Brunswick All Girls Choir. When the band get loud it is the most satisfying crowd muzzle that, if only for a small percentage of the show, draws attention to the stage. They deserve full attention, as - from both a technical and performance standpoint - there is a lot of magic going on onstage. The band awkwardly leave the stage with no audible acknowledgement from the crowd as the curtains close.

One Of Us has only been out for a few weeks, but anyone who has had a whiff of this defining release would definitely be here tonight. Having cut their teeth at pubs and clubs for years, Cash Savage & The Last Drinks are already a local institution, and this is one of the biggest hometown shows of their career. Dynamics are what made the band's new album an instant classic and there are two things that put a downer on tonight's performance — the guitars are too low in the mix (case in point: Falling, Landing) and get swallowed up in chaos; and crowd chatter deprives the band of the attention they deserve, ruining the experience for many fans. These issues vary throughout the night, but the experience improves, largely thanks to the enthusiasm of the band. At the forefront, Cash Savage & The Last Drinks are clearly entertainers and throughout perform with notable passion and refined execution. Savage feels most confident with a guitar on but also delivers some commanding moments without. Highlights are plentiful — the depressing fire in Do You Feel Loved is captured so well by Savage and co. Rat-a-tat-tat, Run With The Dogs and Port conjure the same power as they achieve on record. The title track is a melancholic ride that is reflective/nostalgic in both tone and presentation. Older material that makes its way into the set gets the biggest audience reaction and is also the most well executed.

Encore kick-off I'm In Love is the set highlight, capturing the blues component of this band while Savage's heartfelt delivery makes it a lovely, gooey moment until the lyrics themselves are reflected. The intimacy of One Of Us becomes a casualty tonight, but perhaps a digestion period is required before the live forms of these songs take shape.