Rebecca Loebe live Q-Bus Leiden, 18 April 2014

Rebecca Loebe. Photo: Wo.

It had been a while since I attended a show at the Q-Bus. Somehow dates did not match or the artists did not seem interesting enough to give a rare free evening to. That all changed yesterday after two different people tipped me to go and see Amanda Pearcy. Although I had not really liked the few songs I'd tried to listen to earlier this week, in between a million other things, I'd decided to go anyway. Not only did I get to see Amanda, first we had the treat of listening the lovely and charming Rebecca Loebe.

The contrast between the two singer-songwriters from Austin, Texas could not be greater. Something like a blue sky, bright sunny day and a pitch black, moonless night. Rebecca Loebe plays charming, sweet songs with a clear, angelic voice, accompanying herself with a clear sounding guitar picking notes or with muted, rhythmic strums. We learned about her travels around the U.S. and Japan, her participation in the first U.S. season of 'The voice', for which she, quite ironically, had to cancel her first Dutch tour in 2011. I even learned that she has Dutch family on the in-law side that she was staying at in Zwolle.

But what about the music? It started with a song called 'Darlin''. The sentence "The smell of your beard in the morning" stood out straight away. A song about being in love, wondering what the spell is she is under. That was the spell she brought the audience under, the sweet wonder of the beautiful things in life. Whether it was about an 18 year old boy from Florida travelling to Chicago to get married ('The Chicago kid') or loving to be but not belonging in L.A. Life was shown from a positive site.

Photo: Wo.

We also got to hear the song she auditioned 'The Voice' with. She turned 'Come as you are' totally inside out, showing what imagination can do to very familiar songs. It gave her the luxury of two coaches she could pick from, while all she could think: "I have to cancel a whole European tour". That is a position of luxury.

To be honest, I have no idea whether I can stand a whole cd of Rebecca Loebe. There is a lack of a bite in her songs and voice as her songs are extremely girlish. A bite that I need every once in a while. Last night though in the Q-Bus I really enjoyed listening to Rebecca Loebe and her sweet voice, although in hindsight I have to say that the bill was in the right sequence. The other way around seems unimaginable. To be continued tomorrow.

Wo.

You can listen to 'Darlin'' here.