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By Rebecca Joyce (@sevenphoto)/Special to LAist
It’s no easy feat to get an L.A. crowd to sing along and dance with an indie, folksy singer-songwriter. Unless you’re Thomas Dybdahl. The Norwegian singer performed at The Satellite in Los Angeles on Saturday night, for the last stop on his North American tour. Thomas was well-received by the L.A. audience, thanks in part to the local support of radio station KCRW. In return, the singer turned up the tempo and treated us to upbeat, energetic interpretations of his songs, mostly from his latest album also titled “Songs.”
While his recordings are beautifully written ballads mostly set to slow, acoustic strumming, his concert was driven by electric guitar solos and baselines, and deeply infused with some folk and even bluegrass, with Thomas playing a banjo. The audience happily danced and swayed, and Thomas joined, at times stepping off the stage to dance. He engaged his audience, commands attention, and loved hearing the crowd sing along as much as we loved hearing him.
After a long set, the band took a bow before leaving the stage, but came back for an encore: a rocking version of “Stay Home with Me” during which he again danced in the crowd. More than a concert, his energetic show was a memorable and interactive musical experience.