John Moreland brought the pain of the South to New England on Thursday June 8th at the Sinclair in Harvard Square.

The crowd was reverent and paid their full attention from the moment John took stage. Though Moreland is a humble man, his presence commands a natural majesty. There was no elaborate stage set up. Just a man and his guitar. John’s not much for talking. His songs speak for themselves. Each one, is a story in their own right. John’s use of plain simple words and metaphors make his music understandable and accessible to anybody willing to listen. His vocal timbre and the way he sings is in the vein of a younger rough southern version of Springsteen. Over top his beautiful guitar picking Moreland weaves together a special type of dark magic with his punished voice. It’s hard not to cry at some point during a Moreland set. You can only fight the melodies and vulnerable lyrics so much before you succumb.

Texas based musician Will Johnson opened the show with his brand of American music.

Slideshow:

John Moreland “God’s Medicine” Lyrics:

I guess by now, I”m supposed to be a man
They said I’d find some kind of freedom when I forgot I had a say
But my grandmother still gives me ten bucks on my birthday
And she told me that sleep is God’s medicine
And you’re gonna die someday
So life, take all your terror
And surrender to the true
It’s times like these, I forget why I quit loving you

And I recall when I thought I had a plan
The sun and moon and stars seemed to slip right through my hands
But remember that failure is part of being alive
I guess I let it take away my pride
One too many times

I know you’re gonna leave me
And there’s nothing I can do
But times like these, I forget why I quit loving you

So life take all your terror
And surrender to the true
It’s times like these, I forget why I quit loving you
And I don’t know what I’m doing
Hell, I don’t have a clue
But times like these, I forget why I quit loving you
I forget why I quit