Show Review

Citizen Cope is another rising star in the world of men with acoustic guitars. Already, the genre has heroes that include Dave Matthews, Jack Johnson and Ben Harper. And now Cope is making his mark, while attracting sold out club audiences.

The tick-tock beats of “Pablo Picasso” opened the night at Irving Plaza, as the crowd settled into the groove. The pace of the show was very deliberate and Cope used his slack drawl vocals to paint pictures of paranoia, despair, and ultimately hope.

Before anyone makes any mistakes that Cope is just another guy with a guitar, it bears mentioning that his involvement in his debut record, “The Clarence Greenwood Recordings,” includes guitars, keyboards, programming and producing. (Side Note: Clarence Greenwood is Citizen Cope’s real name.) During his live show, Cope is proud to play his influences, which range from early soul to hip-hop to rock. His current tour dates include a June stop at Bonnaroo, which could very well propel him to the next level of popularity and fame.

There were moments when the show slowed a bit, but Cope kept his audience with him and ended on a high note. Q Tip from A Tribe Called Quest made a special guest appearance to pay many great compliments including a loud - “never stop doing what you are doing" - to which the audience happily cheered on. For Citizen Cope, there should plenty more good reasons to cheer.

For more info, visit citizencope.com