The line of excited fans wraps around the corner and slowly they begin to trickle inside the venue and fill the venue. Fans at the front of the barricade hold signs, hoping to get noticed during the show. As the backing band takes the stage , the crowd cheers, and the excitement is radiating off the crowd waiting for the main act.

Dean Lewis took the stage at a sold out House Of Blues in Cleveland, OH on September 23 for his The Future Is Bright Tour. This tour follows the release of his album, The Hardest Love that was released in 2022. Throughout the night he performed songs off of his new album, and also some from his earlier work. But no matter what song he played, the crowd knew the words and sang along to every song. 

While overall his performance was simple, just him and his backing band with no crazy effects, Lewis kept the crowds attention from start to finish. His stage presence and love of performing stood out from the start. He radiated positivity from the moment he walked on stage. A big smiled filled his face as he looked out onto the crowd and saw the sold out room cheering for him. His love and appreciation for the support from his fans did not go unnoticed. Fans in the audience held up hand hearts to Lewis and he returned the favor, holding up a hand heart to the crowd multiple times throughout the night. At one point, he even left the stage and stood along the barricade to sing directly to the fans.

Lewis played the guitar, piano and at times left the instruments behind and just let his vocals shine. His voice was strong and was filled the room. His vocals were able to bring emotions to life with lyrics that were personal and reflective like, “But how am I supposed to love you when I don’t love who I am?/And how can I give you all of me when I’m only half a man?” from his song “Half A Man.” While playing guitar or piano added layers of emotion to the performance, Lewis’s vocals were the star of the show. You were able to close your eyes and get lost in the music, letting the emotion overwhelm you and be in the moment. .

His energy was high from start to finish, never allowing there to be lull in the show. Even when the songs may have been on the slower side, Lewis’ stage presence and ability to interact with the crowd kept the show moving. He owned the stage and brought the songs to life. He traveled from one end of the stage to the next, engaging with every area of the crowd.

Even though many of his songs have a more somber or sad theme to them, that did not bring down the mood of the room. The crowd still sang along, letting the same emotion that Lewis brought to his vocal, take over their singing as well. They used the time to let out any emotion that they had been building up out, taking full advantage of the time to scream along to the songs that they have been able to connect with: the feelings that come with the end of a relationship, wanting to go back to times before things went wrong, thinking back to what went wrong. While Lewis may be singing about his specific relationship, they are lyrics and experiences that his fans can also connect with their own lives too. 

To break up the moments of sadness, he tried his best to provide some more lighthearted and self-aware commentary. These moments broke up the heavy emotional songs, even at times hearing a chuckle from the audience. One of the first moments this occurred was towards the beginning of the show. Lewis talked about very matter of factly about how he was about to play 20 songs all written about the same relationship. He said it in a nonchalant way, earning some laughs from the crowd. While there was definitely no hiding that the majority of his music is laced with emotions of heartbreaks, it was a nice moment to hear Lewis reference it outright. A similar moment occurred later on in the night when Lewis was talking and asking questions to the crowd and ended the segment with the comment referencing how all of his fans are sad and single, of course referencing how his songs are not the most uplifting or positive. And once again, laughs erupted from the crowd before the next song about heartbreak began and pulled on their heartstrings.

Lewis played his song ‘“Be Alright,” which was his first major hit in 2019. It was most likely the song for many in the crowd that introduced them to Dean Lewis. He played this song as his ‘last’ song (which we all know means the fake exit with an encore). Lewis took to the piano for this song. The crowd screamed the chorus “I know you love her, but it’s over, mate/It doesn’t matter, put the phone away/It’s never easy to walk away, let her go/It’ll be alright” at the top of their lungs. Lewis stood up and motioned for the crowd to sing along with him, wanting to enjoy one of the last moments of the show with the people who have helped change his life; just like how the song changed his life.

The most emotional moment of the night was when Lewis performed his song “How Do I Say Goodbye.” This song is about Lewis’s father and the fear of losing him and having to go on without him. It talks about the struggle of losing someone after they have been by your side your entire life. Lyrics like “how do I say goodbye/ to someone who has been with my whole damn life” and “You’ll always be my closest friend/ and someday we are gonna make it out/ just hold the light, just hold the light” hit you right in the heart and cause you to reflect on the relationships in your life. They make you think how hard it would be to lose important people in your life. And for those who have gone through something similar, they really hit home. It is hard to listen to the studio version of the song and not get emotional, so hearing it live was even more heartbreaking. Lewis wrote this after his father was diagnosed with cancer and was having to come to terms with the idea of possibly losing him. Fortunately, his father is in remission and is doing great. 

He closed the set with his song “Waves.” He re-entered the stage draped in the American flag to show his love for his American fans. Lewis being from Australia, so having fans all around the world is a major accomplishment for his career.

The crowd sang along and gave it all one last time. Lewis left it all on stage, taking in the love from the crowd and giving it right back. The song is powerful and features the catchy lines “It comes and goes in waves/It always does, oh it always does.” The song is also a reflective and existential moment about life with the bridge featuring “I watched my wild youth/Disappear in front of my eyes/ Moments of magic and wonder/It seems so hard to find,” which talks about how our younger years were full of excitement, but as we get older, the joy seems to go away. Then we spend our life chasing that same high, but not ever feeling it again. However, the pondering of life that may be caused from the smile did not stop Lewis from enjoying the final song of the night. A smile once again being seen on Lewis’s face as the entire room joins him in one last moment with the crowd.

Finishing the song, Lewis thanked the crowd for their support and left the stage. Then slowly, the crowd begins to empty the venue, talking about the show and processing the performance they just witnessed. 

Dean Lewis put on an emotional, but still fun and exciting night show from start to finish. He let fans sing their hearts out to songs about heartbreak and brought out their smiles and laughs. The love of and emotion from his fans could be felt from the crowd and that same energy was given right back from Lewis on stage.

Dean Lewis is currently on tour. Tickets for upcoming dates can be found on his website. You can also stream his music on all major streaming platforms.