Jeremy Loops Live

Jeremy Thomas Hewitt, better known as Jeremy Loops, is a South African singer and song-writer.  He released his debut album Trading Change in 2014 and the single Down South soon made it to number one on local charts.  He spent the next few years touring South Africa as well as Europe and Australia before releasing his sophomore album, Critical As Water, inspired by the dire water shortage in and around Cape Town.

He made a stop at Irving Plaza in NYC this week as part of the North American leg of his Levitation Tour.  There had been no mention of an opening act, so we arrived soon after the doors opened – only to discover Jeremy was only playing after 9.  So, while we had a great spot right near the front of the stage, we had to stand for 2 hours.  The worst part was having to endure the obnoxious audience members around us who could not STFU during the opening act, Hollow Cove, a talented indie folk duo from Australia – they eventually requested the audience to quieten down for one of their softer songs but the request fell on deaf ears.  The other down side of standing so close to the stage was the proximity to the speakers.  The bass levels were insane; I can still feel it in my bones.

However, once Jeremy appeared on stage (wearing custom-made sneakers displaying the Jeremy Loops logo, a pair of jeans and a hipster-esque patterned shirt) nothing else mattered besides the charismatic and energetic performer and his excellent music.  He put on a great show and played for close to two hours with the help of a fantastic band.  In between songs he engaged with the audience as if he were chatting with a group of friends at a bar.  He performed all of his big hits, including the crowd-pleasing Down South, Sinner and Skinny Blues from the first album and Waves, The Shore, Freak and Gold (with a fun call and response part for the audience) from his most recent album.  The acoustic songs towards the end of the show also showcased his vocal talent.

There were many South Africans in the audience, cheering and waving South African flags.  But it was clear that Jeremy Loops has many American fans and I have no doubt that NYC will continue to be a stop on his future tours.