Live Review: Dean Lewis PLGRMS, Mt Warning

One-man band Mikey Bee (aka Mt Warning) brings his emotive storytelling to life through music and lyrics. He tells us that a lot of the songs he shares haven't been played live before and they definitely make a great first impression. Bee's heartwarming, acoustic-folk melodies and raspy vocals are delivered with perfect restraint. "We long and we yearn but sometimes we find that happy chord," Bee says as he strums his guitar, sharing a Tinder analogy for that right swipe.

Despite feeling the cold chill on their kneecaps through ripped jeans, PLGRMS are on fire at the moment. They just released a new single on Friday called Crawling Back and they're excited to play it for us tonight. The synth-heavy track with catchy indie-pop grooves is a great addition to their live set and instantly hooks us in. The duo work incredibly well together as Jacob Pearson combines his dreamy vocals with slick production and multi-instrumental efforts from Jonathan Bowden. With only a handful of songs released so far, these guys are sure to keep building momentum.

A chalk outline of Dean Lewis' Same Kind Of Different EP cover is sketched on the backdrop. To recreate a similar intimate bedroom scene, table lamps are placed on either side of the singer who sits at his keyboard in the middle. Lewis dives straight into his first song Lose My Mind. It's Lewis' first headline tour and first Melbourne show, which has us questioning why he's taken so long to visit. Lewis' banter needs some work but his voice is absolutely stunning.

Lewis showcases some brand new songs for us tonight, which will potentially be on the debut album he has in the works. Thankfully the few rowdy crowd members don't know the words to these songs yet and we can enjoy listening to him play without anyone singing over the top of him during these quiet moments. Lewis sings us a line that came to him in an Uber, he reveals, and he's since fleshed it out. Another relatable track he calls Be Alright, is about going through an ex-girlfriend's phone (let's be honest we've all been there). It's definitely another track that could drive Lewis' international success.

"I'm always looking ahead," Lewis tells before sharing his latest single Need You Now. "It's about always wanting more, which is something I struggle with," he adds. He's got the right attitude, though, and this is probably why he's doing so well for himself. A year ago Lewis didn't even have a song out and now he's playing sold-out shows and signing international record label deals. And that very song that started it all is the last of his set. "[Waves] is about the excitement of youth and trying to get it back," Lewis illuminates. This song certainly gets the audience excited and, with so much enthusiasm, they finish off the last few choruses for Lewis.