The crowd at the Music Farm on Wednesday night was astonishingly scarce for a killer lineup of mellow Scottish singer/songwriter Greg Holden and electrifying rock n’ rollers Vintage Trouble. I mean, Vintage Trouble toured with The Who and AC/DC and opened for The Stones, Lenny Kravitz, and Bon Jovi, just to drop a few names. And Greg Holden is also an up-and-coming fixture in the vein of Ed Sheeran. “You’re small but mighty, Charleston,” laughed Holden, a motto that was reiterated throughout the evening.
Holden, most known for radio hit “Hold on Tight” and recent emotional ballad “Boys In the Street” from 2015 disc Chase the Sun, opened the show by blending full band sets with acoustic numbers. Holden had played in Charleston once before, with Ingrid Michelson, but this show gave him the chance to sing tracks from his fresh album, ones that radiated with feeling and energy. He really had the chance to show off his powerful vocals in some of the acoustic sets and took advantage of the smaller audience and intimate setting. Those high notes soared, and he held a note for longer than I think I could hold my breath. There was so much passion in his performance; even though he was singing for few, he was singing straight from his heart. And let’s not even talk about his lyrics, which almost brought tears to my eyes.
Then, we have the unmatchable energy of Vintage Trouble, which highlighted one of the best performances I’ve ever seen, hands down. Frontman Ty Taylor has the stage presence of James Brown but with an even higher amount of energy. I’ve never seen a show like this one. I mean, he stage dove into like 10 people and it was magical, he spun around so many times it made me dizzy, and he danced like nobody’s business. I mean, I danced like nobody’s business too. And when I took out my phone to take a video, he came and sang right in my face for a few seconds, before jumping offstage and dancing with the crowd. He sang over every square inch of that venue, from prowling through the audience to running on the bar to sliding down the balcony bannister, his oomph was on fire. Seriously, music is just not made like this anymore. It was like being transported back to a 60s juke joint, with blues and rock pouring down your throat like a shot of the best whiskey you’ve ever had.
To top things off, in the middle of a set, he asked a couple up on stage and a proposal happened then and there. Taylor cleared a circle on the floor, and the crowd watched as he serenaded the couple for a romantic dance. It was a beautiful surprise, and the love was radiating throughout the room. Let’s not forget the band behind frontman Taylor, who are basically rock and roll soul gods: Nalle Colt (guitar), Richard Danielson (drums), and Rick Barrio Dill (bass). And their fedoras were almost as suave as their unbelievably good sound.
