Hailing from Melbourne, Australia, I was lucky enough to catch Big Scary at Mercury Lounge in late April, while on their tour around the States promoting their new album ‘Not Art‘. Opening for Say Hi, Tom Iansek and Jo Syme graced the crowd with a mix of new tracks off their aforementioned latest album, such as “Phil Collins,” and “Invest,” alongside some more older upbeat favorites from ‘Vacation‘ including “Gladiator.” A true gem off of the recent album would have to be their first released single “Twin Rivers” which displays Tom‘s phenomenal piano skills. Seeing him slide his fingers across the piano creating an illusive sound of wind chimes is a true display of his mastery of the craft.
After hearing some of the recordings of Big Scary, I suspected that Tom‘s sweet voice and stellar piano skills would be the main draw to see them live – of course, his good looks don’t hurt either. However, it turned out to be Jo on the drums who was the biggest force driving the live performance. Most notably, she kicks ass on “Hello, My Name Is“, which shows her ability to shift effortlessly between the vast range of dynamics in the song. She’s also quick with the witty banter and anecdotes of touring with Tom.
They closed out the night with “Leaving Home,” in which Tom croons sorrowfully on the chorus “Oh the simplicity, to piece together all I’ve been shown, but I don’t know how to feels, to have every piece of me crying to go home.” The build up to the chorus is so subtle, and then it drops off to just his beautiful, emotional vocals. It was the perfect way to end the set.
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