Bernhoft Finally Loops Chicago Into His Live Show

By Katie Karpowicz in Arts & Entertainment on Jun 18, 2013 7:00PM

You know that awkward, uncomfortable feeling that you get upon hearing the sound of your own voice over a microphone, on a voicemail or any space that induces echos? Imagine being in a band in which you don't have backing members, you only have the sound of your own voice. Obviously, this concept is far from unheard of but not in the way that Norway's Jarle Bernhoft does it. After several years of buzz, the singer/songwriter finally made his first appearance in Chicago during a sold out show at Schubas Monday night giving local fans a chance to finally see his incredible live looping and performances skills in action.

The night opened with Aussie songwriter Sun Rai. Albeit a sound that's jazzier than Bernhoft's blues pop, the opening act's similar performance techniques -- looping vocal tracks, rhythmic "pops" on the mic, stomps and whatever other noises he could produce on the spot -- were an excellent warm up for the headliner's crowd. The combination of raw talent and nervous eccentricity made for an endearing performance and evoked a surprisingly engaged response from the crowd.

Fresh off his performance at Bonnaroo this past weekend, Bernhoft proved to be as animated as he is talented Monday night. The singer's career took off in the U.S. two years ago his Youtube following gained him enough attention to land a performance spot on the Ellen Degeneres show.

The live renditions of fan favorites like "Choices" and the insanely catchy "C'Mon Talk" were as tantalizing in person as they are on record. Through impeccable timing and the right amount of self control, Bernhoft's songs are heavily layered but avoid being clunky and incoherent. At times, it's even hard to keep track of where the sounds you're hearing are coming from.

While it's doubtful he'll move away from his bread and butter, the handful of new songs Bernhoft played Monday night suggest a bit less complexity, a bit more piano and a sounds that's more bluesy than poppy.

We're hoping that it won't take as long to bring Bernhoft back to Chicago again but be sure to catch him when he does return.