DAVESMALL FINESMITH "Definitely A Star"

by jenny heying

Catching DaveSmall Finesmith at the Tranquil Café was a treat. Fitting the name of the venue, it was very laid back and comfortable. DaveSmall has that feeling too. His songs are smooth and relaxing and you find yourself tapping your feet and singing along. It’s kinda like a night with a group of friends relaxing at your local bar.

Dave’s voice is made for singing and beckoning you in. He plays guitar and uses backing tracks. But amazingly all his backing tracks are self produced. He records them all ahead of time and then adds his voice and guitar live during his performance. You could swear he has a whole band with him, but it’s just Dave. Yet that’s more than enough.

Opening with “Life Without You” and “Cross-Country” got the small crowd into a toe tapping frenzy and when Dave jumped into a stellar cover of Peggy Lee’s “Fever”, he won me over. He mixes his selection but always keeps the audience involved including an original song “Let Me Fly”.

Dave’s genre is kind of an easy listening type. Following up with Clapton’s “Wonderful Tonight” he had me swooning in front of my monitor. His is the kind of concert you’d like to have for a first date or at a 25th anniversary. Either one works.

DaveSmall seems to have it all going. He plays, sings and writes. And he has the usual Second Life® banter that everyone appreciates. His originals are well written and fall appropriately into the genre he plays. “Just A Matter Of Time” and “In My Head” are originals that had us tapping and snapping along.

The best part about Dave is that seems like he is having so much fun on stage and it’s contagious. He chooses songs that go well with having fun. “Sweet Caroline” has always been a fun sing a long song and at Dave’s show he keeps the tradition alive. If Second Life® is about having fun, then a DaveSmall Finesmith show should be Second Life® endorsed.

Dave is a crooner, a romantic and he portrays that well. “Unchained Melody” was done incredibly well and you definitely need the tissues nearby. He hits the high notes and the low as well. He sings it, yet he romanticizes about it. As Dave put it, he “helps you let the world slip away”.

While the first part of his set was primarily slow ballads, Dave proved he could step things up. A rocking “Picking Up All The Pieces”, an original, showed Dave could get us all on the dance floor. Following with “Maybe Tonight” and “Prisoner Of The Soul”, he kept the magic happening.

His set list also included “One More Time”, “In A Gadda Da Vida” (yes that’s right), "The Drumming" and "Brain Damage".

DaveSmall is one of the rare Second Life® performers. He sings, plays guitar, records his own backing tracks and in addition, writes and performs his own songs. Definitely something needed here. In addition, his voice is wonderful, pleasant and soothing. He may seem like he’s just having fun, but he earns your respect and deservedly so. DaveSmall Finesmith is definitely a star.