During his low-key finale, Rudd bowed to the audience and canvassed the stage shaking hands with fans.Arriving at the Factory in inner-city Marrickville, the vibe was a feeling of anticipation in the air for the many excited Xavier Rudd fans taking this rare opportunity to see him play such an intimate venue. Humility was the rule in Rudd’s few interactions with the crowd. Rudd’s several song encore session included a cover of “No Woman No Cry” and a song which thanked the crowd for their presence and energy. Rudd’s music is a hallmark of personal expression coordinating percussion, melody and harmony in tune with his creativity, rhythm and talent. “It’s very soulful.”Īlthough a ludicrous construction of didgeridoos often hid the musician’s face, it did not always conceal the grinning face of a man who clearly loves his work. “Its very refreshing to hear an artist so passionate about the environment, spirituality and consciousness,” said Jayme Richards, a sophomore at OSU. Let your heart do the rest,” resounded through the venue as he performed “Things Meant to Be.” Lyrically his music is unabashedly simple, but perhaps that is to be expected of a man managing multiple instruments, including wind instruments, without the aid of recording. True to his reputation as a folk singer and a world musician, Rudd maintains an unpretentious and optimistic message. The musical renaissance man boasts a mastery of the slide guitar and banjo, stomp boxes, the xylophone, dijembes, harmonica, ankle bells, tongue drums, the Asian gong, as well the didgeridoo, all of which he utilized for the Newport audience.īetween jam sessions on the bongos and didgeridoos, Rudd’s sincere voice carried the down-to-earth lyrics of his hits “Let me Be” and “Conceal Me.” The show included many of his best-known singles. Hailing from Victoria, Rudd remembers practicing the didgeridoo on the end of a vacuum cleaner as a child, according to his Web site. Rudd is vocal about his condemnation of the oppression of native Australians and the destruction of the environment, earning him a reputation as a political voice as well as an extraordinary musician, said Litt. The bellow of a didgeridoo, Rudd’s trademark sound, created a rare ambiance for the music hall that often hosts metal and hard-rock bands. The Aussie one-man wonder performed beneath an Aboriginal flag, his voice echoing through a set of three didgeridoos. “It’s Aborigine meets folk, acoustic meets modern.” “He is amazing,” said Jenn Litt, who attended the concert, as she paused from dancing between sets. On his website, Rudd said his newest album encourages compassion and the celebration of life. Often compared with Dave Matthews, Ben Harper and Keller Williams, Rudd’s style is distinctly Australian and strikingly original. Rudd is completing a one-month US/Canadian tour next week, promoting his fifth full-length release “Solace.” Rudd, who is best known in the states for touring with Ani Difranco and appearing at Bonnaroo, displayed an impressive range of musical talent, seamlessly trading a Weissenborn slide guitar for a banjo and didgeridoo for a harmonica.Īn energetic crowd filled the dance floor and lined the balcony for Rudd’s first Columbus show. Barefoot and surrounded by a barrage of instruments, one-man band Xavier Rudd filled the Newport Music Hall Tuesday night with the infectious melodies and powerful rhythms that have made him a platinum-selling artist in his native Australia.
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