Internet sensation Noah Guthrie performed in Shippensburg for the first time Sunday night. He walked onto the stage of The Thought Lot, with attire suggesting he has been touring on the road for months — a brown top hat, brown blazer and jeans, and to top it off, his acoustic guitar.
But for Guthrie’s only third performance in his new miniature summer tour, he rocked the “little cute town” of Shippensburg leaving the impression that Guthrie has decades of rock music ahead of him.
Guthrie released his first album in 2014. “Among the Wildest Things” featured acoustic covers that expanded his talent to interpret different genres of music and spin them into something intimate and simple.
That simplicity is only on the surface. Take Guthrie’s cover of the song, “Valerie,” written by The Zutons and Amy Winehouse. Despite the fact that Guthrie processes the music through a country rock ether, the element of pop is still there. His pacing makes one want to get up and dance. And although he is a one-man show, imagine the power of a full-sized band backing him.
His music allows the audience to let its imagination run wild. Guthrie has performed on major stages, and the small size of The Thought Lot stage could not contain the reality of Guthrie sounding large.
Songs like “Pardon Me” and “New Beginning” showcase his ability to waver on tone, but be consistent in power throughout. Guthrie’s vocal range matches his dynamic guitar-playing skill. No matter the pace and intensity of the song, whether it be a sad, mellow ballad or a techno tune like “Sexy and I Know It,” Guthrie sings so powerfully that it seems he is going to faint on stage. Somehow, he pulls through and belts out the notes he needs. Guthrie can scream, sing falsetto and tenor all in the same breath.
Guthrie talked about his experiences with writer’s block after finishing his run on the TV show, “Glee.”
“I had to shift from the fast-paced world of L.A. to the super slow pace of a small town,” he said.
Guthrie traveled to North Carolina and spent four days in a cabin the woods. He joked about it sounding cliché. During that time, the music was not coming to him and he could not write a song, no matter how many hours he focused on it.
On the last day, Guthrie had a breakthrough and sang about his reflection on the experience itself. He calls it “Leaving California,” and it is about transitioning in life.
Guthrie also covered the song that made him famous, “I’m Sexy and I Know It,” originally by LMFAO. The original song’s lyrics seem restricted by the techno vacuum, but Guthrie allows them to have more impact with his acoustic interpretation.
It is fair to say that this is the reason why Guthrie can cover anything, make it sound unique and propel him into the mainstream limelight.
Tyler Michael Law, local Shippensburg acoustic artist, opened for Guthrie and performed new tunes from his upcoming album, “Highway Born.” A profile story on Law will be published next week in The Slate.
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