By the time the doors opened at 7 pm, the line was already around the block. A venue staffer said it was “the most sold-out show” they had ever seen. The merch line looped around the stand and back to the register within minutes.
It probably was not all for Dove Ellis, but someday soon, he may not need Geese to sell out venues.
The Irish folk-rock artist has a whopping four tracks on Spotify (with one duplicate), but since his first single went up in September, he has been managing over 200,000 monthly streams. But that total overlooks the 12-minute EP “To the sandals” he released directly on Bandcamp, which is drawing its own acclaim.
Ellis marked his first Philly appearance opening for Geese at Union Transfer on Nov. 13.
Countless characters have already been spilled on Geese. To toe the line of hyperbole, Geese might be the most-hyped New York rock band since the Strokes, and — to give them their flowers — as artistically unrelenting as the Talking Heads or Suicide. Frontman Cameron Winter’s deeply personal, often esoteric lyrics have a compulsive, urgent quality suited to his unconventional voice and delivery. Geese fans have become fanatical, and resale tickets are reaching hundreds of dollars.
To be opening for a band like that is a pretty significant endorsement, and Dove Ellis is certainly deserving.
Ellis wasted no time warming up his voice, beginning with the first of a few unreleased tracks from his upcoming debut album, “Blizzard.” The sweeping song brought in a fluttering soprano saxophone, soft background vocals, and set expectations high. His ranging voice cannot shake a comparison to Jeff Buckley, and that is not just flattery. While that singing voice was relatively unaccented, his speaking voice did not mask its Galway roots.
Rounding out the three-piece were Matthew Deacon on drums and Fred Mansbridge on saxophone, with both adding vocals and synths.
He soon followed with “Love Is,” his latest single. He seemed as comfortable drenched in synths and soprano saxophone as he was solo, with sparing acoustic accompaniment.
Later was a left-field cover of folk singer-songwriter Gillian Welch’s “April the 14th, Pt. 1,” a song that ruminates on the sinking of the Titanic and Americana through the ages. The addition of a slow-building, Radiohead-reminiscent interlude firmly put his own stamp on it.
He closed with another song unreleased as of yet, going fully solo with an acoustic guitar. His most astounding vocal delivery yet, and the most reminiscent of Buckley, he nearly swept the crowd away.
With such an unconfined style oscillating between ambient, indie rock, and acoustic, Ellis is unafraid to show his influences, nor to one-up them – “Aren’t You Scared” from his EP could be one of Foals’ best songs. His lyrics are easily as inscrutable as any of Cameron Winter’s, but the compositions are captivating.
Love might not be the antidote to your problems, to paraphrase “Love Is,” but Dove Ellis’s music is a balm. Look forward to his debut album “Blizzard,” out Dec. 5 via Black Butter and AMF Records.