Cary Farley Concert Review

On a cold and January 8th evening in downtown Sacramento, before a sold out crowd acclaimed musician, Cary Farley and his five member band that included Tim Metz on drums; Paul Relvas, bass; Joanne Wright, cellist; Nicole Makram, violinist; and Demien Meng, on guitar/mandolin performed for a worthy cause and provided an evening of beautifully arranged music inside the California Stage Sacramento. To add to that, 100% of the proceeds from a silent auction, with donations from many generous  local area contributors such as, Citizen Hotel, FOX 40, and Simply Sweet Pastries went to the Mustard Seed School foundation (a school that provides services for children who are in a homeless environment). FOX 40 news anchor, Donna Cordova started off the evening with a brief introduction about the Mustard Seed School before she formally introduced Farley.  Farley entered from a back stage door, walked out on stage, sat down at the piano and opened the set with Anticipation, (track 1) off of his newly released Goodnight CD. Within minutes of the set, Farley musically took over the crowd.

That is when it became evident that this crowded house was in the presence of remarkable talent and was about to be blown away by Cary Farley and his band. Farley and company had an easy and peaceful stage presence with a perfect blend and combination of songs as Farley effortlessly captivated the audience by enticing and hooking them with his unique style.

Farley continued to impress the audience with one song after another off of his Goodnight CD and even included an especially beautiful melody from the Brave Heart movie soundtrack with his good friend, (and fellow band member) Demien Meng.  Moreover, the program was masterfully conducted with Farley alternating from electric guitar, acoustic guitar and piano, talking, and singing throughout the evening.   In between songs, Farley wished all a happy new year and thanked everyone for their support.  He warmly introduced the band and gave a brief history of himself and his musical interests and background.  Farley explained his interest in the Mustard Seed School, and while he doesn’t have any children of his own, (“Sorry, Mom.”) he is invested in helping and working with children since he is a health science teacher at a local Sacramento high school; and with that said, the audience wore an unmistakable expression of respect for Farley’s musical talents and genuine personal qualities.

In an emotional highlight of the evening, Farley performed Stand, a hidden vocal track on his newly released Goodnight CD that he wrote in memory of his aunt who passed away last year.  With Heartfelt opening lyrics, live and die with me, the audience seemed taken back by Farley’s  alternatively handsome voice, accompanied by the deep swells of the cello. Farley, who primarily composes and writes instrumental music, surprised the crowd by singing another song, Alive, and revealed to the audience that he is working on a vocal album. That evoked crowd approval and calls out for Farley to sing a third song.  Farley responded with a modest smile, and it was easy to see why this audience was drawn to him.

During a short break, Cordova announced the winners of the silent auction before Farley and his band members returned to the stage wearing the event t-shirts and performed Recover (track 7)  while hundreds of hands clapped in unison and you just couldn’t help but feel part of a special evening that left all feeling positive and wanting more of what Farley had to offer.

I think I speak for the capacity-plus filled venue, when I conclude with this:  In the spirit of the evening, let’s just say… a goodnight was undoubtedly had by all.

Set List:

Anticipation

Forecast

Bloom

Sunray

Endeavor

Vulnerable

Brave Heart melody

Goodnight

Encore

Sigh

Sunday

Maroon

Stand

Alive

Announcement of Auction Winners

Second Encore

Recover – the end

Anne Lincoln

Reporter

February 27, 2011 | Categories: Uncategorized | Tags: cary farley, charity, concert, donations, good night, guitar, homeless, kids, music, mustard seed, piano, review, sacramento | Leave a comment