How To Dress Well at Irving Plaza (September 17, 2014)

Tom Krell, the man, and voice, behind How To Dress Well, is a special talent. The sort of performer who can take hold of any room and make it feel intimate and familiar. He did just this on Wednesday night during his performance at Irving Plaza, where he made the venue very much his own.

The show was in support of his new album What Is This Heart, which was live streamed by Yahoo Screen. Krell and his band showed up for the occasion, nailing every song in an impressive manner that was seductive and gritty. His vocals somehow sound even better live than on record, which is as rare of a feat as it sounds. His live band rounds everything out, giving him a strong backbone to present his material as fleshed out as possible.

It was my first time catching a How To Dress Well performance, but it felt like I had been coming to see him for years. He locks in with you in such a way that it just feels real, even getting personal during the performance. In between songs he mused on the show being live streamed, the passing of a friend, and why he refused to play his cover of R. Kelly’s ““I Wish” (the rape allegations). These little bits made him seem less like a performer, and more like a regular guy who just happened to be an extremely talented musician performing on stage. It’s a rare thing, but always refreshing to see.

Find some photos from last night of How To Dress Well as well as Nite Jewel, who opened the show.