Concert Review: Suzanne Santo Sings To Whiskey Infused Love At Mercury Lounge
Suzanne Santo celebrates the success of her debut , Ruby Red, with a packed house at Mercury Lounge. Kicking rocks in the form of guitar records. the young woman strengthened my adoration for her album as a high stakes, country brawling letter to relationships. Like a barrel of whiskey being guzzled by your soul love can either leave you bitterly drunk or loopy with joy.
Santo shines in concert for three reasons. First, her voice is so controlled and crisp in how it shines, you admire at how confidently she has trained her vocals to hit sonic sentiments like an archer that never misses a target. Tracks like, “Love Fucked Up”, “Ghost In My Bed”, and “Best Out of Me” gurgled with the regrets and blinding hopes that the man you love will, someday appreciate or reciprocate that love. I was incredibly impressed with how her voice aired and shut off notes like her heart was a tunnel closing and opening to the lovers she called “the one”, which leads to my second reasoning for her success; she sings to love in your late twenties/ early thirties. As you grow older, love can heighten in stakes because the emotional “bounce-back” to every break-up gets longer and heavier. Suddenly, every relationship you take on could be or “should” equate to “forever”, which means how you invest in time and feelings has a higher meaning. From “Bullets” to “The Wrong Man” or from guitar to violin, Santo grabbed hearts by the hand and sang every track like she was re-enacting every heartache that left you feeling spiritually dead. She grabs the mic and roars her lyrics like a lioness loose, and plays her instruments as if they were the cubs she was protecting, which leads to my third key to her success: how she handled the crowd.
Although the audience adored her, I have never seen so many people heckle their jokes while she laughed and told stories. It was like watching a comedy show where everyone thought they could give the headlining comedian material as he performed. When she sang she brought a dramatic flare that silenced the crowd, but the warmth and friendliness of her personality made them interject as she told stories of her figuring out merchandising, touring as a solo artist, seeing the Eclipse, and going through Newark Airport. The latter earned one guy, Chris Christie, who felt determined to prove that NJ was better/ kinder than New York by yelling about it for five minutes and closing a lane on the George Washington Bridge. All jokes aside, she was epically witty and graceful with how she handled his banter. If her lyrics proved she is a smart, nuanced soul then her demeanor furthered it. While she admitted of her performance nerves, which is why I wanted NJ guy to SHHH!, Santo was a charming pro. She felt like a friend you wished you had that was performing an album you wish you would have created. For More Information On Suzanne Santo Click Here.
