Live Review: Dean Lewis @ The Astor Theatre, WA

Dean Lewis could be Australia’s teenage dream. The singer and songwriter from Sydney has all those classically attractive Australian traits, a shaggy mop of hair that suggests he may have just come back from a surf. Weary blue eyes that stoically stare out and a laid back straight down-the-line way of speaking. Couple that with his knack for writing soul-baring lyrics, and there is a reason why there was a high proportion of young women in the sold-out crowd at The Astor Theatre.
Telling the audience straight off the bat that he ‘wrote most of my songs in my bedroom’. His songs have an intimate feel and even with hundreds of people singing along Lewis was able to maintain a sense of intimacy throughout the show as he switched between his guitars and keyboard and ably backed by his band.
The lights went out and the crowd let out an excited scream as Lewis and his band came out for a short and snappy hour-long set beginning with ‘Lose My Mind’. In all its live glory the song lifted off in vibrant form to follow with a bold performance of ‘Stay Awake’, a song that is likely to appear on his debut album.

It was a great start for a set that never stayed too long in any maudlin territory because let’s face it Lewis’ songs can be emotionally raw. But in spite of the searching lyrics like, “How can I win when I’m bound to lose?” and from ‘Half A Man’ “I’ve been running from myself, afraid of what I would find” the melodies keep the songs ultimately hopeful. Lewis knows things are bad now, but they will get better at some point.
With the crowd enthusiastic to everything Lewis offered up, he led a large sing-a-long through ‘Chemicals’ and ‘Let Go’, and if they couldn’t sing along they would clap. Staring out at the audience Lewis still flashes that look of incredulity that you see in an emerging artist who is having their songs sung back to them.
During song breaks, Lewis riffed about the origins of the next song, most coming from places of emotional relationship turmoil. Yet it was somewhat of a contradiction to hear his lyrics filled with self-doubt and contemplation to then have him speak with joviality and a natural confidence.

There were many appearances of songs that will end up on his first album like ‘Hold Me’ and ‘The Place We Knew’ which were received just as appreciatively as his other beloved songs like ‘Need You Now’. With his sound pulsing through the same vein of indie folk rock with the likes of Passenger and Tallest Man On Earth it will be interesting to see if Lewis will cut himself a different cloth against all those other tender souls with guitars.
If the crowd was anything to go by then the lad is in a good spot. As he began the first rambling lyrics of ‘Be Alright’ and everyone erupted into a chorus and held up their phones; Lewis’ trajectory appears to be only up.
A stripped back version of idol Bruce Springsteen’s ‘Dancing In The Dark’ lacked the restlessness of the original and it closed the set in quiet fashion leading the crowd unsure if an encore was to follow. It did, allowing fans one more chance to sing and pour their hearts out with the massive ‘Waves‘.