Singer/songwriter plays wee hours of the morning at New World.
CONCERT REVIEW
Photo by Shanna Gillette
David Dondero,
Sat., Oct. 6, New World Brewery, Ybor City.
David Dondero’s name rarely gets spoken without mention of Bright Eyes’ Conor Oberst. Both artists are singer/songwriters with a penchant for old-timey, strummed instruments and a knack for lyrics that weave poignant tales with telling details and imagery that often skews toward the surreal. Their plaintive vocal delivery is similar as well.
Oberst, who has cited Dondero as an influence, signed him to his Team Love imprint, which put out Dondero’s albums South of the South (2005) and his new one, Simple Love. Although Oberst has the larger fan base and enjoys greater critical acclaim, Dondero’s music, which I got hip to in the early ’00s thanks to WMNF, has always resonated with me in a more meaningful way than Bright Eyes’.
Seeing Dondero perform Saturday at New World Brewery in Ybor City cemented my appreciation for the dude as both a musician and all-around nice, down-to-earth guy.
He writes everyman songs about heartbreak and hangovers and empty pockets. Listening to Dondero deliver lyrics about being down and out, his voice quivering with emotion, you can’t help but feel the 38-year-old draws his inspiration from life, his life, not the lives of others.
This article appears in Oct 3-9, 2007.
