Aqualung

It was a strange situation—Aqualung frontman Matt Hales’ first show without his band, and a beautiful backdrop—Birmingham Museum of Art’s sculpture garden. But, as he proved first in the U.K. and more recently in the States, Aqualung is a veritable expert on all things Strange and Beautiful. He began the show by admitting that he was, indeed, a Brit out of water—his first solo gig, thousands of miles away from his band. However, he quelled any doubts the audience (and he) may have had with a gripping performance of “Easier To Lie.” He opened with attention focused squarely on the keys, his voice floating effortlessly between a quiet, low whisper and a resonant falsetto. He stroked on, following “Left Behind” with his first UK hit, “Strange and Beautiful.”