Brisbane Riverstage
Saturday February 27, 2016 :
Michael Rosenberg, otherwise known by his stage name of ‘Passenger’ came from humble beginnings as a busker on the streets to playing with the likes of Lior. Having a break out song with the hit ‘Let Her Go’, the folk singer comes across as being humbled and somewhat over awed as he plays to the mellow crowd, seated quietly under the stars at Brisbane’s Riverstage.
He calls for sing alongs, tells long stories that lead into sad songs about loss and has the crowd watching every moment, mesmerised. It’s a night for couples and romance as he seranades with his powerful voice, strangley serene and calming.
The touching yet poignant ‘Travelling Alone’ tells the tale of two seperate people, one, a man met in a hostel from the Gold Coast a life long journey originally planned with his wife, now a solo journey after her death – a story that touched Rosenberg enough to write a song about it. The second half tells the tale of a woman abandoned by a lover and sadly also travelling alone.
Then launching into Simon and Garfunkle classic ‘Sounds of Silence’, he jokes it’s a new one he’s been working on, a joke lost to the younger members of the crowd. He manages to get everyone signing along to his anthem ‘I Hate’, a song that highlights all the things (including X Factor) that he hates. Apparently hate just does not get enough time in music.
It is a rare momemt when the entire crowd of Brisbane’s Riverstage choose to remain seated for almost the entire show, only standing to sing along to ‘Scare Away The Dark’ and even after he has left the stage the crowd keep singing the chorus, reluctant to let him leave the stage. Voices untited coax him back for a short encore of the song ‘Holes’.
With just a guitar, a fair amount of wit and humour, Passenger has managed to have every soul in the room unite for a short time to share a moment of folk music and joy.
Reviewer and Photographer : Amanda Starkey
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