On Oct. 17 at White Oak Music Hall (WOMH), Moses Sumney blessed Houston with a sweet and soulful voice. WOMH is an indoor and outdoor venue located in North Houston. This concert was performed inside of the venue in a small room. The upper level room in which smaller bands perform is quaint and intimate, and perfect for concerts like Moses Sumney. Although it’s small and has all around great views of how close you are to the stage, the room is very cold. It’s like they keep the A/C running the whole time. It’s good if a crowd gets rowdy and there is a lot of body heat in the room, but for Moses, no one moves; everyone stares in awe at Moses. So, the room is extremely cold, but all it doesn’t ruin the experience; just bring a jacket for sure.

The opening act was a one-man band. His name is Sam Gendel; he played the saxophone and had a recording loop device to where he made many sounds by himself, record it and let it loop while he proceeded to record other various noises. All by himself he created what sounded like a whole band, because he would record things such as beat boxing, him snapping, hitting the mic to make a bass sound, singing and then finally him playing the saxophone. He was very introverted and didn’t have much to say, but his saxophone skills spoke so loudly that it’s all he had to do to win us over. His songs were mostly sounds; he sang a little bit, but it was more instrumental. He played a couple of songs and made his exit funny by randomly getting up out of his chair, while playing the saxophone, and walked off the stage and out the door of the room. Everyone had a good laugh and he left his mark with his quick wits, little words, and amazing skills.

Once Moses Sumney came out onto the stage to start his performance, I realized that Sam Gendel was also the saxophone player alongside Moses Sumney. Accompanying them was the guitar player, Taylor Mackall. As a team and as a band, they crushed it. Moses Sumney is not only personable, but he is a wonderful singer. The genre of his music is folk and soul, and he clearly displays those attributes with the beat and feel of his music. The crowd was super diverse; it was cool to see the different types of people who were there to support him and the people who listen to his music.

My favorite songs that he sang were, “Doomed,” “Make Out In Your Car,” “Worth It,” and “Quarrel.” His singing voice is high-pitched and soft. If I could compare him to anyone to better explain his singing style, I would tell them to listen to James Vincent McMorrow or Bon Iver, because both of those artists also sing with a high vocal range. It was a concert that you cannot be tired for, because his music is so soothing that it will put you to sleep. The mood of the concert was very grungy and sensual, which was displayed by the lighting and the deep bass that came when he sang. He had five big light bulbs on stage that lit up different colors as the bass hit, and on most songs, they were red, blue and purple. I would strongly agree that the Moses Sumney concert was great for people who needed a night off to come and relax while listening to a stunning singer.

Altogether, I would say that the venue, the opening act, Moses Sumney, and everything that came with the concert was a pleasurable event. I would recommend that if he ever comes back, you should check it out! Check out his music as well!