Brett Dennen
Birdy’s Bar & Grill
Wednesday, Feb. 21

A tall guy with a mop of red hair and a New Castle beer walks casually out of the back room at Birdy's. He immediately takes off his shoes and socks. The audience looks him up and down silently, thinking he could be a kid from their high school. But when he speaks into the microphone, the recognition clicks instantly — there's no mistaking his voice.

California native Brett Dennen performed for the first time in Indy Wednesday night, drawing a crowd ready to dance to his easygoing sound. The show was part of his “Love Speaks” tour, an effort to support and raise awareness for local charities. Dennen donates $1 from the sale of each ticket to a cause in whatever city he’s in during the tour.

After starting with slower songs, Dennen gave in to shouts from the crowd for his newest single, “Ain't No Reason,” a bluesy throwback to the 1960s.

"This song is about breaking out of routines," Dennen said. "We might not even know we're doing them; it may just be the way the world is working."

On “Darlin' Do Not Fear,” the band channeled Bob Marley on an upbeat island jam that sent the crowd into a dancing frenzy. Dennen's voice, which can sound at times like Tracy Chapman and at other times like Paul Simon, sounded naturally stripped down.

After an encore, the baby-faced singer played a few acoustic songs without his band. The songs were almost reverent, which was fitting, since Dennen took this time to speak about a need for change in the world. He sang a few tracks from his 2004 debut before breaking into a medley, including “Friend of the Devil” and Neil Young’s “Heart of Gold.”

Dennen gave a toast with a bottle of Ice Mountain water during the show, nodding to Indianapolis and calling for the audience to make a difference. 

“I’d like to make a toast to this world, to this wonderful city and to Peyton Manning,” Dennen said. “May each of you go on to your own change in the world, because we need it.”