Free at Noon Flashback: McClain Sullivan puts on a vocal clinic at World Cafe

McClain Sullivan | Photo by Liz Waldie | lizwaldie.com

Brooklyn-based singer McClain Sullivan kicked off Friday’s Free at Noon doubleheader at World Cafe Live with a stunning display of vocal dexterity and charm. Though she’s not as well known as the afternoon’s second performer, City and Colour, Sullivan more than held her own, proving that she deserved to share a stage with such a big name.

Over the course of her six song set, Sullivan and her supporting four-piece band were able to play all but one track off her excellent debut LP Rachel. As she weaved her way through the album’s serene jazzy sounds, Sullivan dazzled with her incredible singing voice, expertly switching between a high-pitched whiny drawl and a rich, chocolatly bass. This became most apparent on funky tune “Happy Anniversary,” when she broke into a delightful scatting solo at the song’s climax, impersonating the deep voice of a lover before switching to her own falsettoed speech.

While her voice is undoubtedly her biggest attribute, Sullivan also had an amusing, if understated, stage presence. On “Daylight,” she lifted her lightly tattooed arms from her shiny white guitar, giving a sassy finger wag as she stubbornly reminisced about a failed romance (“I can’t begin to feel sorry for myself again / No, this is not another sob story”).

To close things out, Sullivan performed the peacefully somber final track on Rachel, “Tiny Boat,” setting the stage perfectly for City and Colour’s acoustic set.

[xpnplayer action=”audio” category=”Free At Noon” artist=”McClain Sullivan 11.20.15 ” date=”2015″ button=”yes”][/xpnplayer]

Setlist
Another Mistake
xx
Daylight
Drinking Song
Happy Anniversary
Tiny Boat