Live at Eden Park
17 January 2025
Live Music Review by Music Journalist: Paul Marshall
Mitchell Tenpenny Battles the Crowd but Wins Eden Park Over
Mitchell Tenpenny steps out onto the stage at Auckland’s Eden Park dressed in black and sporting a classic Hank Williams Jr. Lone Wolf tour t-shirt. His songs are well-crafted, and the band is slick. He kicks things off with Started Stoppin’, delivering the line “I just started stopping loving you” with the conviction of a man who’s lived every word. Unfortunately, the audience is still chattering, and to make matters worse, the sound system is subpar, allowing background noise to dull his impact.
Ever the showman, Tenpenny doesn’t let it faze him. He’s all smiles, clearly enjoying himself as the crowd numbers steadily increase. Between songs, he shares stories about his life and experiences, making it clear that every lyric comes from a real place. One particularly poignant moment comes when he introduces Truth About You, explaining, “So I had to make a deal with somebody—I said, ‘If you quit telling lies about me, then I won’t tell the truth about you.’” The crowd listens, intrigued, as he dives into the emotionally charged song.
Then comes the turning point—his unexpected cover of Iris by The Goo Goo Dolls. The moment he strums the opening chords, a shift ripples through the stadium. Suddenly, the chatter dies down, and thousands of voices join in on the chorus, belting out the lyrics with gusto. It’s the magic moment every performer hopes for—the crowd, the artist, and the song, all in perfect harmony.
By the time Tenpenny wraps up his set, he’s done more than just fill a slot on the bill. He’s fought for the audience’s attention and won them over, proving that even in a challenging live setting, real talent always shines through.
Reviewer: Paul Marshall
Photography by Paul Marshall
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