Yoke Lore plays intimate debut headlining show in Paradiso
American singer-songwriter Adrian Galvin, performing under the name Yoke Lore, is not a big name in the Netherlands just yet, but he still performed his first headlining show in Amsterdam on Wednesday night. Radio has not really picked up his tunes yet, but streamers embraced tracks like ‘Beige’ and ‘Goodpain’. Enough people managed to find his music to fill up the upstairs room in Paradiso, almost to Adrian’s surprise, who is clearly pleased with the turn up at his first show.
The singer plays the banjo during his show and he brought a mate along who plays the drums. Due to some logistical issues (their suitcases got left behind in Denmark and were delivered only just before the show), he had to play without his high hats, but the drums were still a very much prominent part of the show. Those who expected to listen to small banjo driven folk songs, were mistaken. Yoke Lore has a full-fledged indie pop sound with synths, vocal echoes, beats and keys.
Adrian has a distinctive vocal style that gains power through the show. In the first bit he sometimes struggles to overpower the loud drums, but as the show builds up, the sound balance starts to improve. As Yoke Lore does not have an album (yet), the guys play a selection of singles and EP tracks. They open the show with ‘Fake You’, an upbeat pop song with loud drums and an infectious chorus. While playing swinging tunes like ‘Chin Up’, ‘Only You’ and ‘Concrete’, Adrian dances intensely with his banjo still around his neck.
The highlight of the show is a passionate rendition of the heartbreakingly beautiful song ‘Beige’, followed by the atmospheric banger ‘Goodpain’, for which he even takes off his banjo and dances even more freely. The crowd cautiously follows him. Although the guys mostly play their own material, a cover of Savage Garden’s ‘Truly Madly Deeply’, a completely Yoke Lore’d version, gets the crowd singing along too. Yoke Lore saves the unreleased song ‘Tom Robbins’ for last, inspired by the author who keeps asking the question ‘how can you make love stay?’ in one of his books. It is a deep song with a compelling chorus. The boys come back once more to close the show with the song ‘World Wings’, a song Adrian introduces by stressing he wants to say something meaningful with his music. And so he did with an hour full of poetic, yet infectious indie pop!
Haven’t heard much of Yoke Lore’s music yet? Check out this playlist with most of his material: