RON POPE LIVE!! | MOTORCO MUSIC HALL
Coverage by Larissa Blankenship
Ron Pope and his band put on an incredible performance at Motorco Music Hall in Durham, NC on February 12th. As one of the last few stops on his Neon and Glass tour, Pope treated the crowd to a special fully acoustic set. The show started with Pope performing solo and his band members joined him on stage one-by-one as the night went on. He was first joined by Kaitlyn Raitz on cello, followed by Zach Berkman on the mandolin, and Matt Scibilia on banjo. Each member had a chance to highlight their talents during solos throughout the night, which made the concert even more special.
Pope performed a variety of songs from his discography, which spans almost two decades, including songs from his most recent album American Man, American Music. Many songs were preceded with a story from Pope's childhood which were woven into the song's lyrics. Pope also joked with his band members and the audience throughout the night on topics from the new dog his family adopted to sometimes deciding to change the setlist while on stage. During “Mama Drove a Mustang”, Pope began to perform a harmonica solo only to find the instrument had accidently been mounted upside down. This caused the audience to laugh and Pope joked that the band member responsible for the mishap would be fired.
Many of Pope’s lyrics tell a story about his own life, and combined with his voice he is uniquely able to make the listener feel the same depth of emotion. At times during the night the audience listened silently then cheered loudly after the conclusion of a song. Pope’s range and talent along with that of his band members makes for a performance you do not want to miss.
