Kansas City singer, songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Anson Seabra delighted with his first-ever headlining show which happened to be at the historic Troubadour following a massive North American tour in the fall supporting Alec Benjamin. The sold-out evening showcased a number of tracks off Seabra’s 2021 album Feeling For My Life as well as his 2020 album Songs I Wrote in My Bedroom plus a couple festive tunes off his newly-released A Heartfelt Holiday EP.
Michigan singer-songwriter Hayd (aka Hayden Hubers) was noticeably nervous, but for good reason since it was his first show ever. The crowd waved along in unison as Hayd played the lullaby-like “Airplane Mode”. Hayd mentioned he’s been a people pleaser in every way for most of his life and then mentioned he was nervous because it was his first show. He played both piano and guitar and impressed with his delicate falsetto.
Hayd played his big song “Changes”, a truly introspective ballad about a number of emotions and later he gave a shout out to his guitarist Riley. Hayd also did a brief cover of Owl City’s “Fireflies” which earned both applause and singing from the crowd. Standout “Blindsided” is a heartfelt ballad which Hayd dedicated to his mother since he is soon moving away to Los Angeles. The emotional song had an impressive guitar instrumental at the end and Hayd thanked some friends in the crowd and said “Anson Seabra is the one person who has always believed in me”.
Anson Seabra got right into it with one of his upbeat pop songs “Magazines”, with an effortless falsetto, impressive piano and he proved he is a total natural. For the final chorus, Seabra sang softly and the crowd sang along. Seabra declared that it was his first headlining show ever and he thanked the crowd. He also gave a shout to Hayd. “Did you guys see my fall on the stairs?”, he asked his fans in addition to some other humorous banter throughout the night. Anson received a rousing applause every time he took a swig of water from his Fiji bottle.
“Robin Hood” was next on the piano with the fans singing along at the end and Seabra switched it up standing center stage at the microphone, making eye contact with the crowd and smiling. The well-produced pop ballad “Love Me” was next with pounding drums and excellent guitar —this one should be a big hit, with its impactful groove, inviting vocal and instrumentation. Mid-tempo pop-rock tune “It’s Raining, It’s Pouring” was highlighted by another solid vocal and memorable drums and guitars.
Seabra mentioned he was playing one of the early songs he posted on YouTube and began the simple, brilliant piano ballad “It’s Us” with a hum from the audience singing along, followed by a piercing rock solo to top it off at the end. Anson showed off his piano chops for a moment with grand chords and intricate finger work, signs that he’s clearly classically trained.
Anson Seabra was up again center stage at the mic, looking like a rockstar for “Dominoes”, another of his pop-rock tunes with tempo, getting the audience involved with call and response as the spotlight pounded the stage in yellow while the drums smashed. It was a highlight of the night with the fans singing “oh-oh-ohs” along with the singer. “Keep Your Head Up Princess” found Seabra back at the piano for a track that almost sounds like it’s a response to an early Taylor Swift song, with a catchy melody and an uplifting vibe.
With his new EP, Seabra shared a couple of his modern holiday tunes including “Christmas Got Colder”, borrowing a reindeer/Santa hat from a fan, followed by love song “Gingerbread House” which showcased his killer saxophone skills. Prior to this one, Seabra talked about being a big band geek in high school while getting his reed ready for a few minutes in his mouth, talking with a temporary lisp and laughing with his mouthful. Seabra took a moment to introduce his talent band: Dan Richards on guitar, Vicky Warwick on bass and background vocals and Simon Tellier on drums.
The pretty piano ballad “u hurt me hurts u” found Anson and the musicians flush in a magenta stage wash and all the feels on this mid-tempo track about regret. The mood continued for “Trying My Best”, one of the best of the night with phones held up like lighters. The fans joined Seabra for much of the lyrics as he played the delicate piano melody on a song that really resonates with the stress and uncertainty of the times. The song picks up with powerful accompaniment, reflecting its anthemic, hopeful, relatable words.
For his encore, Seabra played “We’re Not In Kansas Anymore” and later “Welcome To Wonderland” with the crowd (unsurprisingly) singing along. Epic piano hit “Walked Through Hell” ended the set with a roar from fans. It was a stellar debut at the Troubadour and for Anson Seabra’s first-ever headlining show. His catchy songs, especially his ballads, really connect with fans and he’s masterful on the piano in ways that would impress everyone from Bruce Hornsby to Ben Folds to Sara Bareilles. Anson will probably be opening very soon for the likes of any of these talents or for Ed Sheeran or Taylor Swift —or both.
All photos by Luke Strege
