WXLO Acoustic X-Mas 2013 Review

WORCESTER — About 1,600 people filled Mechanics Hall Tuesday night to see Daughtry headline for WXLO’s fifth annual Acoustic Xmas. But before Chris Daughtry took the stage, there was a mix of performers to get things going, and one of them, newcomers Delta Rae, stole the show.

Worcester native and singer-guitarist Matthew Wade of My Silent Bravery began the night with a five-song set. Wade, on guitar, was joined by band members on piano and drums. They set the low-key-yet-lively vibe for the night. Wade performed a stripped-down rendition of his recent single, “Amazing,” which still had the sunny tone of the recorded version, but without the electronic sound. It’s clear that Wade has found his voice.

Up next was Erika Van Pelt, a finalist in season 11 of “American Idol,” who offered a voice reminiscent of Christina Aguilera with its high notes, riffs and runs, but had the texture of a rich alto during the verses. With a wide vocal range, the 27-year-old from South Kingstown, R.I., sang songs off her first album “My Independence,” including her cover of Pink’s “Glitter in the Air,” which had a haunting sound hiding in its softer dynamics.

Delta Rae, a six-person band from Durham, N.C., got the audience on its feet and fired up.

The band took the stage without greeting the audience and began the first song very softly. A notable contrast emerged between those first delicate minutes and the climactic chorus of harmonic voices and instruments that finished the song. This strength and energy continued to get louder and more captivating with each song in the six-song set. Imagine the vocal style of The Civil Wars merged with the spirit of Mumford & Sons and the vigor of an orchestra.

It seemed that the multitalented group of musicians was playing musical chairs, switching spots on stage, changing instruments with every song, sometimes even mid-song and using props such as chains and the tops of garbage cans to enhance the dramatic and energizing effect that the music had over the audience.

Four members of the band — three of whom are siblings — sang, harmonizing with one another and playing piano, guitar or drums, while Mike McKee drummed and Grant Emerson switched between playing upright bass and guitar. The two female singers, Elizabeth Hopkins and Brittany Holljes, belted with raspy power while banging on the oversized bass drum in the center of the stage like a gong or tapping the side of it rapidly with drumsticks, depending on the song. The two male singers, Ian and Eric Holljes, played a combination of guitar, piano and ukulele.

The crowd favorite seemed to be the group’s first EP, “Bottom of the River.” It was a glorious combination of voices worthy of “Glee” topped with a marching band drum-line interlude and a loud heavy rock sound that shook the seats as the band stomped, clapped and McKee clanged the chains against his drum.

The first standing ovation of the night came after Delta Rae “took advantage of the acoustics in the Hall” and performed an a capella version of “O Come, O Come, Emmanuel” without microphones.

The second standing ovation was after “Dance in the Graveyards,” which had a tribal, primitive sound to it.

The contagious energy had a majority of the music lovers in the audience standing, dancing and clapping along.

The final act slowed things down a bit.

Daughtry’s stage set-up was simple — stools, two microphones and a keyboard. Frontman Chris Daughtry was accompanied by Elvio Fernandes, who played the keyboard, sang backup vocals and openly admitted that he was a Yankees’ fan early on in the set.

Daughtry, also from North Carolina, complimented Delta Rae after he played the title song off his fourth album, “Baptized.”

“We got here in time to see Delta Rae and we were saying, ‘Dang,maybe we should have opened for them,'” said the humble former “American Idol” finalist.

Daughtry had a solid fan base at Mechanics Hall and made the crowd laugh with his witty banter with Fernandes.

Without the full band, even the older hits such as “Feels Like Tonight,” “I Got Over You” and “It’s Not Over” had a more relaxed sound. But there is a distinct difference between those songs and those off the new album, such as “Baptized,” “Waiting for Superman,” “Battleships” and “Long Live Rock & Roll.”

Although Daughtry still has his signature power belt with a rocker edge, his lyrics, tempo and strumming are more homegrown and down to earth than in previous releases.

Daughtry sang a slow cover of Imagine Dragon’s “Radioactive,” which he called his favorite song of 2013, halfway through his set with only soft chords from the keyboard in the background.

Daughtry and Fernandes also sang a rendition of “Silent Night,” while reluctantly wearing Santa hats which were thrown onto the stage by fans.

Daughtry finished the night with the very fitting pop-rock power ballad “Home” as the concert crept up on its third hour.

And after a standing ovation for Daughtry, home is where the people who were not attending WXLO’s afterparty most likely went.