Lior @ The Palais, Adelaide Riverbank, Adelaide 10/3/2018
It has been a while since Lior has played a solo show – just Lior, and a guitar. He had last been in Adelaide for the Cabaret Festival in 2017 and now Adelaide Festival goers were eager and ready for him to showcase his talents. He was welcomed him with rousing applause, entering the stage and before imbibing on a glass of red wine and then start to play.
During the second song, Take the sting out, Lior has a hiccup forgetting the lyrics and stopping, endearingly stating “I forgot the lyrics. It’s been a while”, before picking back up and continuing with the song like a consummate professional.
Popular songs like Autumn Flow were interspersed with newer tracks to introduce to his core fan base, with Apple Tree.
A highlight of the show was bringing up on stage Alma Zygier, the daughter of Deborah Conway and Willy Zygier. Alma came on to sing I’ll Forget You, which Lior originally sang with Adelaide’s own, Sia. The addition of a second voice in a stripped-back show was welcomed and provided depth and layers to the music through exquisite harmonies. Alma then stayed on stage for one further new song, Real Love.
Lior was engaging throughout the show either introducing songs, explains stories behind them, or even just generally talking and sharing anecdotes. Lior is the type of artist that you could close your eyes and just listen as his voice is the dominant sound and mesmerising like a siren.
There were a number of firsts with playing of songs, none other than a cover of the infamous Joni Mitchell song, Both Sides Now which was a beautiful take of this classic.
Finishing the show with his most popular song This Old Love garnered a large round of applause from the audience who had clearly been waiting for this moment.
He returned for an encore after receiving approval, to say he would play one audience request with Daniel being the most requested song for Lior to finish the night.
It was an interesting time to have Lior play and I would have preferred to have been able to enjoy him either during an afternoon or Sunday evening with his smooth chilled vibes.
Whether he was singing a capella such as the introduction to a personally important song like My Grandfather or accompanying his singing with electric guitar, in this day and age when music tends to be over produced and altered, to find an artist like Lior, with the ability and confidence to be vulnerable on stage with just a guitar is to be celebrated.
Adelaide Festival Review by Ilona Schultz