Concert Review: Barns Courtney Is A Modern Classic At Terminal 5

The first time I saw Barns Courtney,  he was performing at a dark, old school night-club, he attracted a crowd that believed Led Zeppelin was Heaven (They are not wrong!). Leather jackets and long hair were genderless attributes and, in that intimate space, he ruled as king; speaking to the crowd with an assertive seductiveness. Yet, Terminal 5 could be considered the size of a kingdom, which is why it was interesting to see his flirtatious nature take on the masses. 

In the case of concert performances, size can matter, but, to Barns Courtney, a big room did not take away his rocker edge nor his intelligent usage of time. Instead, it made it feel more symbolic. As an opener, he doubly infused his personality into his songs to really show that he is an emotive man whom believes how the body moves in music displays how it moves in terms of love and lust. He shakes his guitar and body as if music was a goddess seducing him, a mere mortal, which, of course, people love the drama. Theatricality will never fail as charm because, inside, we all are actors, but Barns Courtney transfers our ability to “pretend” into “Gold And Glitter.” 

Immediately, Barns gave off an aura that said, “I have studied rock legends, and now I’m becoming one!” You could pluck every single maneuver he did on that stage and trace it back to an Encyclopedia of Legendary Rock Stars. What I love about Barns Courtney is that he is a classic in 2019. He smiles fully confident that the space is centering around him, and how could it not? Barns Courtney’s voice feels like Bob Dylan and Janis Joplin had a bouncing baby boy. Yet, these two icons knew how to bash a guitar, which Barns does. He is a pure energy booster, and allows his voice to grind and tenderize verses as if they were meat chopping through machines. The result was a performance that both matched and felt distinguished from The Kooks in proving one thing: rock n’ roll is playful.

There are many words that are more attributed to rock like, “sexy” and “chaotic.” Yet, Barns Courtney proves “playful” is key to both; something about you needs to be able to have a laugh in order to push boundaries. Tracks like,”Fun Never Ends,” ‘Kicks,” and “Never Let You Down” sung to this truth, but put it as both a burden and a blessing. We all want to be “on” when it comes to entertaining and loving others, and Barns’ voice shows this desire is one that demands you to rally. Still, in this world, rallying for rock is a peaceful choice. For More Information On Barns Courtney Click Here.