No Alibis bookshop on Botanic Avenue was given a real Americana treat this warm Wednesday evening when Virginia's own Paul Curreri stopped by. The singer songwriter was greeted with a fairly good ratio of people to books and was seated up front, aptly beside an abstract painting of a cowboy. He begins with a short anecdote - a humourous memory of a gig he once played and it works well to create a friendly atmosphere in the small room. We listen to a mix of old and new including Azalea, The Wasp, Long Gone Again and the more recent Once Upon a Rooftop. Every song has a back-story and is delivered with a soft spoken charm that has everyone listening. Curreri's guitar work is seamless; he makes what is probably a tightly rehearsed piece look natural and unintimidating. Needless to say, on the finger-picking front, ATL is very jealous. Two moments in particular have to be shared; the first being Curreri's sneeze mid song which he swore to us had "never happened to [him] before" and secondly his encore-indicating flee to the toilet door due to a lack of back stage facilities. He closes with a song written and dedicated to his equally talented wife Devon Sproule; to the crowd it is like stumbling upon a bohemian love note. This idea in itself captures the essence of the evening - it was a rarity experienced by a lucky few. With this in mind, ATL is sure that Belfast's doors will be open in the future for the return of Mr Paul Curreri. Shannon o'Neil Gig Details Related Links | ||