Live Report: Leon Majcen transports the Upstairs at Whelan's crowd to Nashville

Bosnian by blood, Prague-born, Florida-raised, Nashville-based – Leon Majcen’s biography alone promises range. Onstage, he delivers more than that. With deeply emotional lyrics the likes of Lewis Capaldi's, that same warm, unpolished sound John Prine perfected and the rugged, deeply-American aesthetic of Johnny Cash – he’s not quite folk, not quite country, but all parts Leon.

The small, upstairs room of Whelan’s fills slowly, the space tightening as an intimate crowd gathers around the stage, waiting. But before the main man appears, audiences are treated to a performance from Mark O’Donnell, an emerging Irish singer from Donegal. The quiet young artist showcases his heartfelt acoustic style, playing originals like ‘Put You First’, a song about the butterfly effect, and ‘Empty Beds’, about his parents, whose four children have now all grown up and moved away.

The room ignites for O’Donnell’s rendition of ‘Have You Ever Seen the Rain?’ by Creedence Clearwater Revival and he finishes strong on an original, ‘Break Your Heart’. By the end, the crowd is singing along, fully enraptured.

Mark O'Donnell supporting Leon Majcen at Whelan's Upstairs. Credit: Patrik Meier.

A palate-cleansing 30-minute beer and smoke break ensues, giving everyone time to discuss O’Donnell’s impressive voice and what’s to come with our headliner.

Majcen cut his teeth at local bars while still in high school, sharpening his talent and building a following. He went on to pursue his passion at New York University, playing shows around the city. But Big Apple-life didn’t match his small-town self. He moved back to Florida, where he took a job at a commercial fishing dock and planned out his next step – Nashville. Moving on to Music City, Majcen became right at home. Today, his fanbase has expanded to Dublin, where devoted listeners recite lyrics like bible verses and sing out with unmatched excitement.

Leon takes the stage. A sharp harmonica riff arrives first, so loud I hear dogs down the street start howling. The honky tonk in Leon comes on strong and it feels like we’ve been transported to a dive bar in Texas. ‘Mangrove Shores’ makes for the perfect opener, setting the lively tone that the rest of his set carries through.

“Dublin how the fuck we doin’ tonight?” Leon shouts out. “I love the Irish, man. All day I’ve been thinking about how much I love this place.”

Leon Majcen at Whelan's Upstairs. Credit: Patrik Meier.

Fittingly, ‘Thinking ‘Bout Love’ comes next, an ironically steady song about the unsteadiness of new romance. The next track, ‘Down the Road’, was written the day he quit his job – Leon tells us. “Now I get to play for work!” he says, grinning. “Goddamn I love this place!” Leon booms again, pacing the stage and looking out, his excitement palpable. “We love you Leon!” a member of the crowd shouts in response. “I think I love you more,” Leon says.

Next up, written a few months after he quit his job, the aptly-named ‘Sleeping in a Car Is Fun Until You Gotta Pee’. His thundering voice flows heavy on the light acoustics. Then come bouncing guitar strums on the upbeat ‘Grey Hairs On Momma’s Head’, written about his tumultuous younger years. ‘Sunday Morning Coffee’, a melodic homesick song with beautiful lyrics, follows. The crowd falls into reverence.

After every track, Leon takes time to talk with us, chatting about his music, where he comes from, his family. While some might turn their nose up at country, it’s impossible not to appreciate the genuine authenticity present when the genre is done right.

Next is ‘World Gone By’, a song about John Prine, one of Leon’s biggest inspirations. He moves across the stage and explains that he initially wrote the song about his niece, but when Prine died in the middle of his songwriting, he “got pissed and wrote a song about that instead.” “Uncle of the year!” he adds, before diving in. The entire night's performance is as stripped back as it gets, just a man with a guitar, but this particular track allows that no-frills sound to really shine. Despite commanding a crowd, Leon's so laidback it feels like he's just playing for a few friends.

Then, Leon’s harmonica skills shine on a cover of Townes Van Zandt’s ‘Poncho and Lefty’, transporting us to the Wild West. I don’t think I’ve ever heard a harmonica sound so good. The buzzing fills the room, expressing what lyrics and guitar can't. For the next one, Leon invites Mark O’Donnell back onstage for a cover of John Prine’s ‘That’s The Way That The World Goes ‘Round’, much to the audience’s excitement. They switch off playing and singing, O'Donnell's lighter voice ebbing and flowing with Leon's cowboy gruff-ness. The pair fire up the crowd who know all the lyrics to the infinitely catchy track.

Leon Majcen and Mark O'Donnell at Whelan's Upstairs. Credit: Patrik Meier.

“Ya’ll wanna hear some new shit?” Leon exclaims. And new shit he gives us, with ‘Slowing Me Down’, ‘Falling Short’ and ‘Don’t You Cry’ – alternating between his happier and sadder songs, all incredibly soulful. The energy swells as he breaks out into the last of his new songs, ‘Blue Sky’.

“To bluer skies and greener pastures!” he cheers, raising his beer.

He begins the end of his performance on a couple easygoing J.J. Cale covers, fitted with that characteristic subtle groove present in all of Leon's own music. “One more song for you… Alright, two more songs for you,” he says, but really it’s three more songs that close out the night.

Pacing the stage, he looks out at the audience with a smile before striking the start of ‘Highway One’. He moves quickly through the next two tracks, building up the energy even more. The audience begins to bounce to the upbeat ‘Shot Myself in the Leg’ and the final song, ‘Making A Livin (Not A Killin')’, comes right on its heels. These last two tracks feel distinctly of a different era. With poetic lyrics and troubadour-style melodies, Leon's 1970s style shines. Finishing things the way he started, a blaring harmonica riff makes an abrupt ending to the magnificent show.