Live Review: Weyes Blood, Jack Davies

A humid evening set a perfect atmosphere for an exciting event at the Perth Festival – the first Perth visit for acclaimed American songsmith Natalie Mering, aka Weyes Blood.

Jack Davies had the unenviable job of playing before the highly anticipated main act. He took on the challenge with gusto and played a terrific set with violinist Elise Hiatt. Davies is an exceptional storyteller beneath his scruffy veneer. A great version of Rosemary Mushrooms and a sublime cover of Carla Geneve’s I Hate You (For Making Me Not Want To Leave The City) were set highlights. A swag of new songs showed great promise and lyrical beauty – fans of this young troubadour have a lot to look forward to.

A white-suited Weyes Blood sauntered on stage to a great ovation and burst into A Lot’s Gonna Change. Her voice filled the night sky and it was a wondrous thing to behold throughout the set. Everyday arrived early and thrilled the crowd, with several very amorous couples and a sea of smiling faces swaying along. Like Mering sings, true love is making a comeback!

Weyes Blood @ Chevron Lighthouse. Photo by Dan Mac.

Mering spoke thoughtfully between songs, entertaining the crowd with talk of conspiracy theories and requests for Perth’s most haunted locations. She changed tack when she dedicated Picture Me Better to a friend who passed in tragic circumstances. 

The main set closed with Wild Time and Movies. The band were fairly inconspicuous throughout the set but came to the fore on these last numbers, allowing Mering to indulge in some theatrics and sweeping hand gestures. By this time, a soothing breeze was sweeping through the venue, providing further buoyancy to punters’ moods.

Mering returned for two more songs: a rousing Generation Why with her band and a beautiful, affecting Bad Magic solo. Bad Magic is taken from her second album and is a gorgeous composition, like so many of her songs. The solo setting allowed her voice to shine the brightest at the last moment. A terrific night with a rare talent.