Article + Photos by Omar Kasrawi
The “Happy People Sing Sad Songs Tour”. That’s what Billy Raffoul and Wrabel call their 8 stop co-headling tour of the fall. But if I can suggest one amendment to that title, it would be to add, “To Insanely Happy Audiences” to the end of it. Cause that’s pretty much a total descriptor of the Bowery Ballroom on October 22nd.
The evening kicked off with an artist that can best be described as a pure revelation: Joy Oladokun. She brought warmth, humor, and an incredible voice to the crowded house. Her stage presence is effortlessly charming, but her songs are undeniable. Oladokun vocals and acoustic guitar can permeate a room and easily work their way into one’s heart and soul.
Next up was Billy Raffoul, back in New York for his third time in the past two years. And his solo act didn’t miss a beat in what was his largest headlining performance in New York yet. Raffoul was armed with his guitar, pedals, ‘matchsticks’ (The light sticks surrounding him on stage), and his deep and soulful voice. From the moment he kicked things off with an electrically charged “I’m Not A Saint”, Raffoul held the audience in the palm of his hand. His tunes carry a dark and melancholy vibe when you dig into the lyrics, but the music surrounding those words managed to somehow bring a collective smile to the audience.
Then it was time for Raffoul’s co-headliner, Stephen Wrabel, aka Wrabel to hit the stage. Playing mostly from his keyboard, Wrabel managed to somehow make an already intimate night feel that much closer. There’s an obvious tenderness and longing present in his music that the crowd was clamoring for. All in all, this was a night made for personal connections among a few hundred lucky concert-goers.
Joy Oladokun:
Billy Raffoul:
Wrabel:
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