Live Review and Pictures by Katie Caccavale
The atmosphere at Eddie’s Attic in Decatur this past Friday night, February 1, was much like what you would expect at a family reunion. As the sold out crowd gathered in the listening room awaiting the arrival of Austin Renfroe to the stage, it seemed as though everyone knew everyone in one way or another. Austin Renfroe, an Atlanta native, has played anywhere from quaint, family-owned coffee shops in Kennesaw, Georgia, to one of the world’s busiest concert arenas, Philips Arena in Atlanta.
Austin, extremely supportive of his musical friends, invited two bands to open his show. Brandon Clark, of the duo Gin House, was the first to take the stage and immediately captivated the audience with his honest, soul-infused song, “Marianna”. After Brandon Clark’s short set, the crowd would be happy to know that he would later join Austin on stage to sing the fun-loving, foot-stomping song, “Roots”.
The newly-formed band, Jimmy Real, was the second opener of the night, taking the stage for the first time ever. Frontman, James Shealy, along with his incredibly talented bandmates, serenaded the crowd with dynamic pop songs. With much of their inspiration coming from bands such as Coldplay and One Republic, Jimmy Real is sure to create music that echoes an alternative pop/rock sound with soft, intimate moments.
Family, friends and people seeing Austin Renfroe perform for the first time, anxiously waited in anticipation for the hometown showdown. Austin and his bandmates approached the stage shortly after 9 p.m. and were warmly welcomed by loud cheers and clapping hands. Austin opened with his cheerful, pop-infused song, “Can’t Bring Us Down,” from his EP Unexpected. Throughout the show he kept the audience on the edge of their seats with his witty jokes about chair grinding and Faith Hill seeing him naked. Not to worry Tim McGraw fans, Austin was only eight months old and Faith was his babysitter. Not only did the singer/songwriter passionately belt out tunes from both his first album, Stuck in Your Head and his EP Unexpected, but the energetic vocalist even surprised his adorable fiancée and her friends with covers of Britney Spear’s “Hit Me Baby One More Time” and the Backstreet Boys’ hit, “I Want It That Way.”
Austin Renfroe and his bandmates made a lasting impression by finishing their set with one of his most beloved songs, “Run Around,” off his first album. From Austin’s table dancing, to the crowd “chair grinding” as he would put it, the show was nothing short of outstanding.
