Right Away, Great Captain!, Casey Crescenzo (of The Dear Hunter), and Harrison Hudson (Review & Photos)

By Alexis Simpson

The Pike Room in Pontiac, MI hosted a sold-out show headlined by Andy Hull and his side project, Right Away, Great Captain!. The last time we saw Andy perform was at Clutch Cargo’s for the Manchester Orchestra show. Harrison Hudson performed first in front of a sizable crowd who were already staking out their spots in front of the stage. Harrison reminded us a bit of fellow Nashville musician, Justin Townes Earle. His performance was favorable and the Pontiac crowd enjoyed interacting with Harrison as he viewed the performances of Casey Crescenze and Andy Hull. Also, Harrison is an accomplished photographer!

Next Casey Crescenzo took command of the room and chastised members of the young crowd for their ridiculous noise level. His powerful voice and presence eventually silenced everybody into respectful submission except for the annoying kid in the corner on bath salts. Casey is a serious artist who wants to share his perspective as a songwriter and singer. His sincere intent showcased his confidence in his music and garnered respect for those of us insightful enough to know that we were lucky to witness his performance in an intimate setting. Casey’s voice is a lovely contrasting blend of power and falsetto, and his intensity and passion pull everything together.

Lastly, despite the heat that temporarily took out two fans in the crowd, Andy Hull performed a generously long and awe-inspiring set. Right Away, Great Captain! offers a stripped down look at the genius of Andy Hull. His wistful and sentimental voice was made for storytelling and making people feel. Andy Hull is equally as convincing as a solo acoustic musician as he is when performing with Manchester Orchestra. Balancing both must be time-consuming but his efforts are greatly appreciated. After the show, Andy met with his fans and left us all hoping for quick return to the Detroit area.

RAGC SETLIST

Oh, Deceiver
Right Ahead, Young Sailor!
Love, Come Save Me
I’m Not Ready to Forgive You
Down To Your Soul
What a Pity
Once Like You
Memories from a Shore
I Was a Cage
Blame
When I Met Death
I Am Aware
Fur Stop Caring
I Wait For You
Barely Bit Me
Rotten Black Root
We Were Made Out Of Lightning
New Bad Books Song
New Bad Books Song
Pale Black Eye (Manchester Orchestra song)
Where Have You Been/I Can Barely Breathe/Sleeper 1972 (Manchester Orchestra melody)