Sondre Lerche
By Kimberly Rosenbauer
Monday. Dec 10, 12:43 PM
live at Music Hall of Williamsburg (Brooklyn, NY) Nov. 26th, 2007.

In the small, intimate, school auditorium-feeling Music Hall of Williamsburg, I was instantly shot back in time 10 years upon hearing “Closing Time” being sung in front of me by the opening act: some random dude in quirky glasses onstage. I wondered who this guy thought he was, covering a song in his limited time up there? Then I realized: this guy, Dan Wilson, was Semisonic’s frontman back in the day. I knew this was going to be a great show, over-played ‘90s song or not.

Next, Sondre Lerche came onstage to wild roars. Well, as wild as roars could come from the 100 or so people there. Despite the small crowd, everyone was intently into this Norwegian musical genius and knew his music well.

I was at first a little disappointed that Sondre was playing alone. His latest album, Phantom Punch, uses so many layers to create such a big sound: I wasn’t sure he could pull it off all alone up there. But alas, this is the Norwegian musical genius we’re talking about. Soon I saw how Sondre easily created massive energy in the room all by himself. From multiple distortion pedals, his many hilarious stories and conversations with the audience, to reinterpretations of his older songs, every single person there was captivated from the first to the last second.

For songs that were intended for several instruments, like “Say it All” or “Phantom Punch,“ Sondre was able to use variations in his guitar playing, effects, and rhythm changes so I honestly didn’t realize there was anything missing. Conversely, on his slower, softer songs written for solo guitar, such as “Tragic Mirror” or “I’ll Be Okay” (from the Dan in Real Life Soundtrack), he played with such intensity that it was on these songs he broke his guitar strings.

But as a person, Sondre is not at all intense and serious. He is one funny guy. Before almost every song, he talked to the audience personally and from his heart as if you were eavesdropping on him having a conversation with an old friend. It was hard for me to think that he might talk like this every night on tour: you really believe he knows you, and that you know him. When he told us how he met the cast of The Office at the premier of Dan in Real Life, he was like a giddy school girl and the audience loved every second of his sincerity.

Speaking of candor, there was nothing more moving than when he sang “Happy Birthday Girl,” which was written for and dedicated to his wife, who was at the show. The song talks about his sadness in not being there for her birthday because he is away (likely on tour). You could hear a pin drop in the place. It was so touching and real.

And that is why I will never miss a Sondre Lerche show. He’s up onstage because he’s a musical giant, but he also feels like the neighbor around the corner who waters your plants when you’re gone.
www.sondrelerche.com

Kimberly Rosenbauer

Got something constructive to say? By all means, rant away. Gonna blab about something unrelated and/or talk shit? Don't expect your comment to stick around.