Live Review: Wil Wagner, Laura Stevenson

It's unusual to see so many smokers milling around the footpath surrounding The Zoo on a Wednesday night but, then again, this isn’t your average mid-week gig.

The doorway leading up to the beloved Brisbane venue has illuminated 'Wil Wagner' in block letters and Broadway-style lighting, fitting as The Smith Street Band’s frontman had easily sold out the first show of his solo national tour. Inside The Zoo, there is a clear 'party' atmosphere as the sea of punters, sporting a variety of black and The Smith Street Band shirts, steadily downed their drinks and held loud conversations.

The new-look Zoo, now with wood furnishings, sparkling chandeliers, scattered used musical instruments, and bookshelf wallpaper, is one of the best-sounding venues in Brisbane. Unfortunately for tonight's main support, American Laura Stevenson, the party atmosphere means her charming voice and acoustic guitar strums are drowned out by the crowd’s chatter. However, the dozen closest to the stage warmly cheer and applaud each of the love stories and other anecdotes Stevenson tells through her soaring melodies.

When the man of the hour strolls on stage, the packed crowd erupts, including plenty of wolf-whistles from the majority-male mosh. Wagner quickly sets the banter benchmark, introducing himself thus: "I'm Wil fucking Wagner, and I respond to nothing else!" Opening with Death To The Lads, Wagner responds to the inevitable deafening sing-along with genuine humility: "I don’t even need to be here, you guys know it too well!" This comment rings true for most of the set list, as the sold-out crowd knows pretty much every lyric to his Smith Street Band solo renditions as well as his deeply personal solo tunes.

Five minutes into the set, Wagner is already glistening in sweat, a clear testament to how much effort and passion he puts into every heart-wrenching song. After toweling himself off during a quick guitar re-tune and a story about "a fucking terrifying goanna on Stradbroke Island", Wagner launches into Don’t Fuck With Our Dreams and is quickly drowned out by… well, the sweaty guys with glassy eyes. A short solo before the last chorus shows Wagner’s not just about social-anxiety-riddled lyrics; he’s also pretty handy guitarist.

His signature strong Aussie accent and almost-in-tune singing style are at their enchanting peaks in tracks from his 2008 solo album Us Boys Run, 2013 mini-album Laika, and the almost spoken-word Passion from his I Hope I Don’t Come Across Intense demo series. Birthdays and Laughing (Or Pretending To Laugh) from The Smith Street Band’s upcoming album, More Scared Of You Than You Are Of Me, are highlights of the set, as Wagner passionately delivers solo renditions of cuts from an album he’s "so proud of and so fucking excited" to release. Laughing is possibly the most romantic song Wagner has written, and his backstory to its lyrics would make even the most pessimistic lover shed a tear.

While the loudest singalongs are reserved for Smith Street Band anthems Surrender, Ducks Fly Together, and Young Drunk, the hour with a very humble Wil Wagner proves legendary Australian singer-songwriters don’t always need to have a smooth voice or impressive vocal range. Instead, Wagner’s music is a raucous and euphoric celebration for a seriously melancholic view on being a touring musician who struggles with social anxiety. It’s raw and rough, but you can’t help but be absorbed by Wagner’s heart-on-the-sleeve lyrical storytelling.