Searows mesmerizes with tenderness and vulnerability at The Bishop Bar

Embarking on his headline North American tour, Searows took the stage at The Bishop Bar in Bloomington, Indiana on June 19th. The Bishop houses an incredibly intimate venue, allowing for a deeply personal connection between the artist and the audience. For Searows, this environment established the quintessential listening experience. Alec Duckart, the artist behind Searows, left everything on the stage during his Bloomington performance, exuding raw emotion in the delivery of each and every line.

Searows’ vocals and acoustic guitar remained at the forefront with accompanying bass and percussion from his band to help deepen the sound for the majority of the set. Despite being stripped back in composition, every element of sound was intricately integrated to make each song as emotionally impactful as possible.

The setlist showcased a balanced variety from Searows’ discography, taking highlights from his debut album Guard Dog and last year’s End of the World EP. The show opened with “Older,” instantly setting the tone for the rest of the performance. Searows immediately radiated with authenticity and vulnerability, captivating the audience through his gentle vocal performance and delicate guitar strumming. The musicality as a whole was enamouring and ethereal, a dreamy sonic idyll one would want to experience over and over again. 

Searows has a masterful way of story-telling that easily puts listeners in the narrator’s shoes. His words and inflection instill the deep complexities of emotions he investigates within his songs, and the live performance only managed to further the sentimental resonation. Tracks like “Collector,” “I have more than enough,” and the “Keep the Rain / Roadkill” mashup were particularly moving, encompassing universal and undivided attention from admiring fans. The unreleased “Hunter” marked another powerful moment of the show. Not a single murmur was heard as Duckart debuted this new track; everyone instantly connected with it and wanted to absorb every ounce of the artistry without any form of disturbance.

The accompanying band left the stage just before Searows began to perform “Coming Clean.” With only his voice and his guitar, Alec Duckart created an entirely new world with just his guitar and his voice. The word “sublime” fails to be a strong enough word to encompass what it felt like to be present for the performance of “Coming Clean;” it was nothing short of magical.

Despite the heavy lyrical content of the music, Searows’ charming personality made the entire audience comfortable enough to laugh and joke around as old friends. Between each song, a slew of “yippees” and “huzzahs” could be heard amongst a wide variety of giggles, showcasing the connection Searows has managed to establish with his fanbase. A wonderful and natural dynamic exists between Searows and his listeners, demonstrating passion not only towards his music but also to the community he has created as a result of it.

The show concluded with a performance of “I Can and I Will,” followed by “House Song” as an encore. Anyone present at the show can confirm that the waves of nostalgia investigated in the lyrical content of these tracks were echoed in the momentous occasion of being able to hear them live. Searows performed a show that was unforgettably moving, a concert worthy enough to search for at the end of the world.

Searows will continue to tour in North America in Toronto, Brooklyn, Boston, and more over the next week. In August, Searows begins his UK/EU Tour. You can purchase tickets for his upcoming tour dates here.