Review: BRIAN FALDUTO Brings Country to NYC at The Green Room 42

It's been nearly eighteen months since I was able to see all my friends and relatives in my hometown of Fort Worth, Texas. But tonight, musically at least, I got a little taste of down-home when I caught Brian Falduto at The Green Room 42. "Gay country singer" are not always words that fit neatly together, but Falduto, also a certified life coach, has integrated all the parts of that label quite nicely. His act is not only about good music, it is about being empowered to be your highest self.

You may know Falduto from the Richard Linklater film School of Rock, where he played Billy "Fancy Pants" opposite Jack Black. But he's had a long journey from his 11-year-old self. He took the trauma of childhood bullying and self-doubt and turned it into art as a singer/songwriter. Most of the songs in his wonderful set were his own compositions, some already recorded, and some that will be recorded soon.

And they're well-crafted tunes with great hooks. "Shots On Me" is a classic country revenge song set in the requisite honkey-tonk. "Big Boy's Club" is a double entendre tune filled with baseball metaphors that's really about the men who play the game. "The One I'm After" is a straightforward story about looking for "the one." This song in particular showed off Fulduto's admirable bass notes. Johnny Cash would be proud. The highlight of the concert was his anthem to LGBTQ pride and acceptance, "God Loves Me Too." It is a particularly good song that deserves some airplay.

And then there were some really enjoyable songs that Brian Falduto didn't write. He did a very emotional arrangement of Julie Gold's "From a Distance" that left everyone in the house, including me, a little weepy. His encore, Big & Rich's "Save a Horse, Ride a Cowboy" was a hand-clapping, knee-slapping, sing-along finale to a lively and entertaining show.

The band that backed Falduto (which he introduced only by their first names) was composed of first-rate musicians. Lily Desmond on the fiddle was particularly accomplished. It is a joy to hear musicians blend this well who truly enjoy playing together. They were all having a great time partying together and they brought the audience right along with them.

For more information about Brian Falduto, visit brianfalduto.com, where you can also check out his life coaching services. He can also be reached @BrianFalduto on Instagram and Twitter. For more shows at The Green Room 42, go to greenfignyc.com

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