People of all ages are on their feet, dancing like there’s no tomorrow and singing ‘Baby baby’ at the top of their voice. When frontman James Cramer promised to convert us all to Tupelonians, he really meant it.
But let’s take things from the start. Tupelo’s acoustic roots music reminds you of something you might hear in a tiny pub, yet doesn’t seem remotely out of place in a jam-packed Whelan’s. James is a naturally gifted showman, jumping around and interracting with the crowd. Not that it’s a one-person show in the slightest; all five band members get their moment of glory when the hyperactive frontman steps back and lets them take centre stage for a solo. The sheer variety of musical instruments on display is impressive: saxophone, fiddle, double bass, guitar, banjo, mandolin, tin whistle, all masterfully played.
There’s plenty of variety, from the upbeat ‘Dirty Money’ and ‘Blue Gardinia’ to the deeply emotional ‘I’m an Irishman’. “This is a song about history”, James warns us before starting to sing the story of Joseph Plunkett, recounting the Easter Rising. The next minute he’s back into happy mode, dedicating songs to the ladies in the audience. Yes, he’s actually forcing us to participate, but we’re all enjoying it. One great tune follows another: the beautiful banjo and mandolin duet in ‘Family’s Land’; the exhilarating ‘Firefly’; the super-catchy ‘Bad Man’. It doesn’t get any better.