Image courtesy of Tiffanie Cheng and Jerry Ting

The soulful singer, who played several songs in addition to his smash hit “You Give Me Something,” struggled at first to connect with the unusually intimate crowd of fans at the club off of Wilcox and Cahuenga.

Sayers Club, known for its air of mystery, is an exclusive bar and live music joint that remains hidden among the overplayed music scenes in Hollywood.

“Yea I love these small venues… it takes a little while to find the intimacy, but hey it’s LA,” said Morrison after the show. 

In-between one of his sets, the singer paused on the microphone, saying “It’s so […] quiet in here.” Nevertheless, he was able to adjust to the small crowd without difficulty, engaging them in a personal up-and-close rendition of his hits, with the help of his band.

Drummer Neal Wilkinson commented, “He loved it. We all do. In fact when you get to certain size you lose the intimacy and really with his music—and the music I like—it’s all about the connection.”

Morrison certainly connected with his fans towards the end of his performance. Listeners sat back in the comfortable lounge, enjoying drinks in the cozy atmosphere as the singer/songwriter serenaded them with old and new tunes.

The energy in the audience spiked towards the end of his performance, as he began to play old songs that the crowd was familiar with. New fans had printed his song lyrics on paper and sang along to his popular numbers.

30-year-old John Mashikian was impressed with Morrison’s performance. “I could tell he was thrown off by this really cozy venue, because he’s so used to playing in huge stadiums in the UK… I have to give him credit though, his performance was excellent,” he said. 

Cynthia Lee, a long-time fan, further comments that the dim and hushed atmosphere along with the lack of crazed fans made the experience even more enjoyable than she had thought.

“This is my fifth concert I’ve been to, and has been by far the best. I’ve never been able to see him this close before. It felt very personal, and he was really on tonight. Whenever I hear his voice it just makes me want to cry, because he brings out everything,” she revealed.

Morrison and his band have left California for now and are on their way to New York for one last performance until they return to the United Kingdom. 

His representatives say he will start his eight-week tour soon and return to Los Angeles in the spring for additional performances.

Reach Tiffanie Cheng here.