Jeffrey Lewis 

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• Jeffrey Lewis

  I was introduced to Jeffrey Lewis by my other half a couple of years ago, I was unsure of the "anti-folk" scene being more into deeper, over the top compositions that deal with rawer emotions and usually 500 synths. I listened to a couple of Jeffrey's more popular songs before taking the plunge and investing in his first, fantastic album. I listened to it back to front and loved everything about it, a couple albums and shows later and here I am writing a review as to why you should see him... Anyways, Every Jeffrey gig is full of likeminded down to earth fans (with the occasional over the top, crazy fan) who are all there because they know that Jeffrey (whom I shall now refer to as Jeff, as well, why not) really is the king of Anti-Folk, heck, I don't even like Anti-folk and I'd rank Jeff as one of the most influential artists on the gigging scene. His shows are lively, often packed with personal stories and dialogs you might even be treated to one of his famous and always amazing "Story of" (a feature of hand drawn story boards accompanied by a song) these are fantastic and a real joy to see, they are almost a celebration of raw creativity. Honestly the ticket price was worth it for that alone. What about Jeff & Bandmates, do they sulk away backstage? Hell no. Jeff even described his tour as "ulta Cheap" (often the band will loan equipment off of the support act to cut costs) and becuase of this he often mans the merch stall. The other band members (if you are seeing the Jeff & the JRams) are very down to earth musicians who share the spotlight with Jeff on and off the stage. Jeff is a very down to earth guy, never seen him have a diva moment and he will go out of his way to answer questions and talk to you. In closing, I would say buy a ticket to Jeff shows. You won't regret it, he has something to please everyone (from comedy to heartbreak) and you will find yourself headbanging aswell as tearing up.

  Manchester hopes you'll be back soon Jeff! (p.s - you handle weirdo fans very well ahah!)

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  by allan-mckernan

• Jeffrey Lewis’s show was brilliant, as usual. He is one of the best songwriters ever, and no one does quite what he does as far as mixing punk, folk, anti-folk, and indie-rock aesthetics. The audio mixes at his shows are always great, in that you can hear all the words (and there are a lot) without the instruments being muted or deemphasized. (And his band is a magic mix of psychedelic soundscape and hypnotic rock and rhythm!) There are also beautifully constructed mixed-media elements including short films, narrated slide shows, and comic book commentaries on history and art. I always leave a Jeffrey Lewis show feeling as though all the depression, despair, and ennui in the world has been turned, at least temporarily, into exaltation, camaraderie, and hope.

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  by randy-kaplan

• I Love Jeffrey Lewis! Right up there with Andrew Bird! But more like Beck meets Fionn Reagan, meets Andrew Bird!

  And that's what i love about him. I mean writing a song about the primordial slime of Krongu! Had me in stitches the first time i ever heard it! I was instantly hooked! What's not to love about Jeff! As others have said he is truly entertaining but i have yet to have the pleasure of seeing him perform live! I think i might try and twist the bosses arm to let me off the leash on the fateful night, heck maybe she might even join me for the event?!??!!!

  Whatever floats your boat I would strongly urge you to attend this event! If you've never experienced Jeffrey Lewis before, now is the time!

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  by michael-lowe-6

• Best $11.50 I ever spent in my life. Drove from San Antonio for the show. I was telling some friends, these are my favorite shows. Certain bands you go after they are huge because you gotta see them at least once in your life, but the best shows are always the more intimate. The venue was great. Everyone was super chill and friendly. I wish I had more money to spend on merch, but I did get the new record and Jeffrey and The Voltage all signed it and were really kind people. I went into this show knowing probably 20-25 Jeffrey Lewis songs really well, and now I just wanna dive further into the ones I don’t know. To me that’s what happens after a fantastic show. Can’t wait to see him again.

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  by jodyweinman

• Just got home from the Oakland show at Starline Social Club. What a blast!

  I'd only listened to a couple of his albums, including the new one, on Pandora so did not know what to expect. What was most amazing is that I enjoyed the stuff I did know, and the stuff I'd never heard before, equally as much.

  He's just got such clever, thoughtful, wordsmithing, and it's combined with the ability to deliver it on top of some really great music.

  Endless thanks to my friends who got me out to the show!

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  by yokeho

• Awesome show. Jeffrey Lewis is such a talented and entertaining guy. The venue was super. I urge everyone to check out the DIY Space. A record shop, events, music, great bar and friendly people.

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  by jenny.isobel