Kelli Plasket

Singer-songwriter Justin Levinson performed to an almost full house of enthusiastic music fans at the first WTSR Concert Series of the semester, held in the Kendall TV studio last Wednesday.

The event was the second time Levinson performed at the College.

“It feels great to be back. Everyone is really friendly and I’m happy to have the opportunity to be here,” he said.

Levinson opened the one-hour performance with the slow piano ballad “Keep Your Heart Fulfilled.” The audience sat enraptured as his soft yet powerful voice filled the studio. He then followed up with “Daisy Mae,” an upbeat, jazzy track from his latest album, “Bury Your Love.”

“(‘Bury Your Love’) is a little more Americana than (my first album) ‘1175 Boylston,’” Levinson said. “It’s more rootsy and acoustic-inspired, but still has a lot of a pop feel.”

The multitalented performer played the piano, acoustic guitar and harmonica throughout his set. From the softness of “Home,” to the enthusiasm of “Daisy Mae,” the exceptional number of tempo and dynamic changes in the set list kept listeners interested and on their toes.

Levinson, who cites the Beatles, the Everly Brothers and Elton John as his main musical influences, preceded “Heavyweight” with an amusing anecdote concerning a recent Elton John concert he attended.

“I got selected to be his ‘eye candy’ of the night,” he exclaimed in bewilderment before launching into a dichotomy of powerful belting and soft crooning accompanied by skillful piano playing. His “eye candy” status earned him a front-row seat.

Joy radiated from Levinson as he performed his final tune, “Nice to See You Guys.” Halfway through, he “brought the weirdness back to (the College)” by breaking out into a surprising kazoo solo while the audience clapped along.

Levinson, named best Male Artist at the International Acoustic Music Awards, is currently playing coffee shops, bars and colleges around the Northeast, hoping to “saturate the college market.” A new record is also in the works.

Judging by the nearly packed Kendall TV studio, Levinson is certainly successful in reaching the college-age market.

Darren Farinas, WTSR station manager, was pleased with the turnout for the evening.

“It was a huge success,” he said.

Attendance for last year’s performance was light, but empty chairs were in short supply on Wednesday night.

When asked about his favorite part of performing live, Levinson said, “The moment you know you have the audience, when you know you’ve hit home.”

Judging from the reaction of the pleased concertgoers, Levinson had the audience in the palm of his hand.