Bryce Avary His Instruments and Your Voices
The Rocket Summer is the solo-project of singer-songwriter, producer and multi-instrumentalist Bryce Avary, a man of many talents as this gig at the Camden Barfly went on to demonstrate.
The music is a combination of power pop with elements of rock as well as some groovy vibes. Throughout the set he skipped mainly between the acoustic guitar and keyboard for the main bulk of the songs, but on occasions took to infusing small drums segments, bass and electric guitars as well as the odd beat box style element on top of these foundation pieces to create rhythms and melodies recorded and repeated on top of one and other - basically recording a song in the venue itself, Bryce then had time to skip and dance around onstage and in the crowd while the music he had just recorded played in the background; his instrumental diversity is truly brilliant to watch come alive first hand.
Avary's distinctive, high-pitched vocals are just another unique element to the positively infused songs. Ranging from Cross My Heart and This is Me from his first album Calendar Days through to Around The Clock and Brat Pack from Hello, Good Friend, Break It Out and So Much Love from Do You Feel, Roses and Hills and Valleys from Of Men and Angels and 200,000 from his most recent release Life Will Write The Words. As well as his own tracks there were a few snippets of Taylor swift and a brilliant rendition of Outcast's Hey Ya.
As the venue and set was so intimate, it gave this leading man the opportunity to get up close and personal to the crowd, hear them sing the lyrics back to him at a loud volume and request songs. He took time to explain meaning behind songs, how he got into the music business and just general chit chat about his time in the industry.
As the set concluded, Bryce looked well and truly amazed by the reaction he had just received. There is no doubt he was shocked that the show SOLD OUT within a day, then the screams and appreciate he had received. It had been five long years since The Rocket Summer graced the UK with a concert and the reception he received on this occasion, let us hope it is not another five years until the next one.