On the second leg of his tour, Stephen Day set the tone in Salt Lake City with soul and funk vibrations.
“My name is Stephen Day, and it is a joy to be in your city tonight.”
Touring with his third studio album “Gold Mine” and other classics, Day took the crowd of the Urban Lounge on a journey of music on March 25. His set opened with an improvisation of funk and blues styles from the ‘70s, which led into the first track of the night, “Kinda Cowgirl.” The perfect beginning to an entrance of Spring in Utah; the audience was drawn in from the get-go as Day sang through his teeth and played through a range of guitar solos throughout the night.
From studio to stage, the sound created by Day was unprecedented. Listening through his albums, there is more of a pop music-inspired gravity. But live, the music takes on a different layer of funk that captivates the audience. This difference showed through his versatility and love for soul and funk music. Day took us through time as he played through crowd favorites like “On Top of the World” and “If You Were The Rain.”
“Blow the roof off this place”
Day took the intimate space to his advantage and used the crowd as a choir and literally parted the sea. His songs resembled the tones of a ‘70s dance club and, at times, a western saloon. I was caught by surprise throughout the show as each track played its own character. It was like the instruments were in conversation.
Day is a visual performer. When we spoke, I was surprised to hear he had no theatre background. Between his dynamics and control of the room, the stage was clearly made for him and his artistic direction. Several tracks of the set featured the voices of the crowd as he led each section like a conductor. It was rewarding to see not only the excitement and participation from the audience, but the sheer joy Day exuded.
Dancing Through the Wild, Wild West
If there was an opportunity to play his guitar, he took it. The night featured several moments of guitar solos that caught me off guard. He truly whips them out of nowhere. A stand-out moment was halfway through his set when he riffed on an old ‘50s country tune that led into “Drive South.” His ability to lead into songs flawlessly, kept me — and the rest of the room — waiting impatiently for the next move.
“I’m just gonna play my guitar for a second if that’s alright with you.”
At this moment, the supporting band left the stage, leaving Day solo. He climbed off stage with an acoustic guitar and started plucking away. With the spotlight on him, this is exactly what I needed after having viewed so many variations of this on YouTube. Afterward, the band came back out and Day said, “We’re about to do the craziest thing you’ve seen today.” Each player pulled out a “small” instrument ranging from maracas, a handheld keyboard, a small guitar and Day’s “tiny” voice. It was a moment that felt like a mariachi band playing at a restaurant out of nowhere. It was characteristic and fun; right on brand for Day.
